Hermione's New Love
by christianchick29303
Summary: Back at school for her seventh year after the battle of Hogwarts, Hermione becomes disenchanted with her relationship with Ron and seeks comfort in the arms of another. Rated M just in case!
1. Unlikely Love

**Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series is, of course, the sole property of J.K. Rowling and I own none of it…unfortunately.**

* * *

Hermione walked down the newly repaired hallways of Hogwarts, taking in the smell of fresh wood as she went. It had been mere months since the battle of Hogwarts, and though the castle looked beautiful as ever, its occupants were still somewhat shaken. Hermione included herself among those who were obviously still suffering from both the very real losses as well as the very surreal dreams that could only be the product of the horrors that had taken place that fateful day.

Along the rebuilt walls, one could see the various memorial markers set up to honor those who had lost their lives to the hands of Voldemort's Death Eaters. As usual, she had to stifle a sob as she passed the four most bothersome ones - those of Fred, Lupin, Tonks, and of course, Colin Creevey. She had only been back at the castle for four very long days, and she just wasn't sure that she was going to be able to make it through an entire school year, especially with these reminders all over the place.

However, she made her way quietly to her seventh year Transfiguration class, having agreed to meet Harry and Ron there, rather than joining them for the walk. To be quite honest, she wasn't very interested in having company these days, though she wasn't quite sure why this was. The easy explanation was that she was simply more affected by the various deaths than anyone else had been, but she knew deep down inside, that this was not the full reason. For some strange reason, one that she felt she could never explain to anyone, she had felt a strange affection for Fred Weasley, and now that he was gone, she just didn't feel the same anymore.

She supposed that her attraction to him had stemmed mainly from his blatantly disobeying every school rule that she had held so dear during her first couple of years at Hogwarts. That and the fact that he had never been unable to make her laugh, even if she didn't do so in front of him. Now, though, Fred was gone, and she guessed that now was as good a time as any to start moving on with her life. The question was…how?

* * *

Harry and Ron had noticed a marked difference in Hermione's personality since the day after the battle, though they had been unable to put their finger on the exact cause. However, they felt it would be downright rude to ask her about it, so they simply took to leaving her alone when she asked for it and trying to cheer her up when she wanted company.

The difficulty level of their classes was almost impossible to deal with, since they had missed an entire school year between their sixth year and now. This tended to keep all three of them so busy that they had no time for socializing with the few Gryffindors who had returned to the scarred castle. In fact, they found a lot of their class time being devoted to the conversing that they so wished to do during the evenings by the fire. This Transfiguration lesson proved to be no different.

"When do you reckon the next Hogsmeade weekend will be," Harry whispered to Ron, hiding behind his textbook so as not to be seen by Professor McGonagall.

"Dunno. Hopefully this coming weekend. I need to restock my Honeydukes collection," Ron replied, sucking on the last of his sugar quills while pretending to listen closely to Professor McGonagall. "Since I started providing Hermione with comfort food, I've been running out of sweets twice as fast."

"Ronald, the least you could do is not talk about me behind my back. Especially when we're supposed to be paying attention," Hermione spat, a glare taking the place of the sorrowful, almost lost look that normally consumed her features.

"At least that part of Hermione hasn't changed," Harry whispered even more quietly to ensure that she couldn't hear him.

"Yeah, the day she starts letting us talk through a class will be the day that I know something serious is wrong with her."

* * *

Hermione, Harry, and Ron made their way slowly to their common room after dinner, knowing exactly what awaited them there - a mountainous pile of homework. Potions homework was what took up the majority of the pile, with four essays due within the following week. Apparently, Snape had no sympathy for them, even though they were just trying to get back into the swing of things after a long year away. McGonagall had been no better about the homework load either, though she was a little less strict on her grading practices, making her homework somewhat less stressful. These two classes alone took up the majority of their time, so their other homework tended to be put off until the very last minute.

Tonight was one of the very few evenings when Charms homework received their attention, and since they had a four foot essay due the next day, they mainly sat side-by-side, working in silence. This silence was only broken when Harry or Ron took a moment to ask a question of Hermione, who was beginning to grow increasingly frustrated with their reluctance to open a book and find the information for themselves. During a moment of intense frustration, Hermione finally spoke.

"Why did you two even bother to buy books for this class," she asked angrily, her face reddening. "For that matter, why did you even buy any books at all. Apparently, it was a waste of your money, seeing as how I seem to be your walking library."

Ron put his arm around her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "You are so much more to me than that, and if it would make you feel better, I'll stop asking you questions." They had already been dating for a year, and this was not the first time that he had said something he didn't intend to follow through with just to calm her down. Just a few weeks ago, he had promised to attempt Arithmancy with her, so that she wouldn't be the only seventh year taking it. However, he had never enrolled in the course, feeling that it would be a waste of his time.

"That would make me feel much better, Ron," Hermione said, smiling at him briefly and then looking back at her essay before he could have a chance to kiss her. To be quite honest, she just wasn't that interested in acting the part of his girlfriend right now. Perhaps it was because he looked so much like Fred…


	2. Back to Life

A/N: To those who reviewed the first chapter, thanks!! I really appreciate your comments!

And now, as we begin another chapter, I ask that you please forgive me for my use of a scenario that is very similar to that in DH. This will make more sense later, I promise!

* * *

Severus Snape lay awake in bed, thoughts of the past, present, and future simultaneously speeding through his head. His dungeon office seemed at once both a blessing and a curse, for reasons known only to him. Even that miracle of a boy, Harry Potter, knew nothing of the events surrounding his journey back into life and back to Hogwarts.

The scenes in the Shrieking Shack were as vivid now as they had ever been. There was Voldemort, allowing Nagini's enchanted cage to envelope Severus' body. Then came the pain, as the snake ripped into his skin, his blood now flowing freely and too quickly for him to have any hope of survival. Finally came the dim image of Potter's face, the last memory he had of that terrible night.

And yet here he was, lying in a warm bed, his senses as sharp as he could ever remember them being. The fact was, he knew he shouldn't be alive, knew he didn't deserve the gift. He'd lived his life, and perhaps death wouldn't have been so bad on that night; perhaps he would have been better off just succumbing to the inevitable and allowing himself to slip into the eternal sleep. Dumbledore had thought otherwise.

Just as he had started to grow accustomed to what he assumed had been his heaven (books, cauldrons, ingredients of every kind in such a quiet and secluded place), Dumbledore had appeared. As the former headmaster stood their with his waist-length hair and beard shimmering in the ethereal light surrounding them, Severus had sensed that his time in this paradise would soon come to an end. Unfortunately, he had been right.

Dumbledore had assured him that, though he had spent the majority of his life as a bitter and mean man who had served the wrong master for a time, the fact that he had come to the right side in the end was more than enough to compensate for his mistakes. As if this were not enough, Severus had gone so far as to protect the Potter boy right to his death, an action that would have been impossible for most to fathom. According to Dumbledore, however, there was just one slight complication.

"Severus," he had said, perching himself upon the edge of a very large, very beautiful desk, "the fact remains that your work doesn't seem to be complete. There is much more left for you to accomplish."

"That may be, sir, but the fact of the matter is that I am dead now. I shall never return to Earth, as my fate has already been decided." Severus had averted his eyes from Dumbledore, gazing at the stacks of hundreds of books surrounding him and wishing that the old man would end this discussion so that he could begin enjoying the luxuries of this place.

"No, Severus. The true fact of the matter is that your actions in protecting Harry make you deserving of a second chance at life. A second chance to fulfill all of your potential, and not just the small portion that you managed to fulfill before your life was taken." Dumbledore had then paused, scanning Severus with those annoyingly piercing blue eyes. "Please consider what a second life may mean for you."

Suddenly, an idea had entered Severus' mind, and he felt that the only way he would ever know what to do would be to ask. "Is Lily here?" As the words had left his mouth, his body had started to quiver from the excitement of seeing his love once more.

"I am here Severus." Her sweetly soft voice had suddenly filled every empty space in the room, reverberating through his body. And then she had appeared, more beautiful in this place than she had ever been on Earth.

"Lily," Severus had whispered, walking slowly to the second shimmering figure to enter the room. "The love of my life."

"Severus, your place is on Earth. That is where your true love resides, and that is the only place in which you can find the happiness you longed for throughout your life." Lily had then offered a sweet smile and had placed a hand on his shoulder.

Suddenly, it had become obvious; his place for the time was indeed among the living, not the dead. "So I shall return," he had said, continuing to ponder the consequences.

"There is only one string attached," Dumbledore had added, gazing at Severus once more, "you must return to Hogwarts for one more year, for that is where your knew life will begin."

Severus had suddenly felt the oncoming second thoughts about the entire idea, but one more encouraging smile from his first love had been enough to elicit the slight nod of his head that had sent him careening back into the mortal realm.

And now, here he was, four days into the one year that he was required to spend in this cold, imprisoning castle. What good could possibly come of this torture?

* * *

Hermione glanced at her watch just as Madam Pince appeared at her table to remind her that the library was now closed and that she would have to continue her work in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione nodded and packed her bag, leaving the library only five minutes later. Madam Pince gave her a reprimanding look as she closed and locked the door behind Hermione's retreating back.

It was now three in the morning, and she, Harry, and Ron had spent another long day occupying separate tables in the library, attempting to make it through the homework that had been building up during their first week back. Though the guys had deserted her much earlier in the evening, she had taken full advantage of the extremely late hours that seventh years were permitted to spend in the library. The next day was Saturday, and Harry and Ron had convinced her to enjoy some relaxation with them as they snuck off to Hogsmeade under the invisibility cloak to replenish Ron's sweets box. She had reluctantly agreed after telling them that they should learn some maturity, and had therefore wanted to get the majority of her work done before their outing.

She still had some reservations about sneaking out of school, but she was sure that it would give all three of them the time they needed to talk and get caught up with each other about their first week back. They had been spending every day separated by huge piles of books, and after spending so much time in near silence, she was finally willing to set aside her sorrow for an unimpeded afternoon with her best friends.


	3. Power Struggle

The familiar feel of the silken invisibility cloak on her skin was enough to bring back so many happier memories from the past. It seemed that life would have been so much easier had the battle never taken place, since those they had loved and cared for would still be around. However, she had to keep reminding herself that if that battle had never taken place, Voldemort would still be around and Harry's life would still be in danger. It was a lose-lose situation.

"This is it," Harry said as they finally reached the end of the passage that ended with the trap door leading into the cellar of Honeydukes. The tunnel had been repaired with the rest of the castle, perhaps because of the fact that Professor McGonagall, who was now acting as headmistress, had no clue that there were students who would dare use it to sneak out of school under her strict rule.

"Finally. We really are too tall to use this passage, Harry." Hermione pushed against the trap door, which was quite unwilling to give, and so required the strength of all three.

As they stepped into the cellar, it became obvious that there had been boxes piled atop the door. Dust covered every inch of space, lying an inch thick upon the floor. In the dim light, Harry could see that Hermione's hair was indeed mussed, from her having brushed her head against the ceiling of the tunnel so much. Perhaps it was time to find a new way out of the castle.

It took only five minutes for Ron to make it into the main part of the store, fill a bag with numerous treats, leave a pile of wizard money on the counter, and reemerge into the cellar. "I just picked up a bit of everything," he said, handing a chocolate cauldron cake to Hermione, who took it hesitantly.

"Thanks, Ron," she said, averting her eyes from his loving gaze. When would she be able to break the news to him that he simply wasn't the person she wanted to be with anymore?

* * *

After spending a good hour walking slowly back to the school through the low, dark passage, they emerged back into the familiar corridor that housed the one-eyed witch concealing the tunnel. Glancing quickly around, they made sure that no teachers were in sight before removing the invisibility cloak. Unfortunately, they hadn't thought about who may be hiding behind the suits of armor lining the walls.

"I thought I detected mischief," came the smooth, cold voice of Severus Snape from his position behind a particularly large suit of armor. "Apparently, you three need to be taught a lesson. Then, perhaps, you will be less willing to sneak out." He put one hand on Harry's right shoulder, the other on Ron's left and told Hermione to walk ahead of him.

The walked to the very familiar office of Professor McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor House. It seemed even more formidable now that she was Headmistress as well. As they entered, Snape still maintaining his grip on Harry's and Ron's shoulders, she turned and rolled her eyes at the sight of them.

"Some things never change, do they," she said, exasperated, as she placed an open tin of cookies on her desk, offering them one. "What have they done this time, Severus?"

"They were caught sneaking out of school, Headmistress," he replied, sounding equally exasperated at McGonagall's tone of voice. "If you do not feel that this is a good enough reason to punish these three, then I'll just leave"

"Now Severus, I'm not saying that they don't deserve some sort of punishment for their foolishness," McGonagall replied, sitting down at her desk and moving some papers out of her way, "but you four are as predictable as clockwork. Every year, it's the same thing - a power struggle between you and the three of them. They are just students you know."

Snape was now furious, his sallow face reddening impressively. He was in no mood to be mocked. "If that is how you feel about this situation, I will leave you to deal with them. I have better things to do with my time than stand here and listen to you criticize my actions." With that, he stomped his way across the room and through the door, slamming it behind him.

McGonagall, who was clearly amused at Snape's overreaction, had to work very hard to compose herself. Finally, she managed, "you three will have to serve a detention each, and though I am tempted to make you do your detentions on the Saturday of your first Hogsmeade visit, I feel that you will have learned your lesson after a long afternoon of helping complete Mr. Filch's filing." In all reality, the only reason she hadn't taken their Hogsmeade trip was simply because they had given her a chance to see Severus get exasperated, something she often found quite funny, and she had needed a laugh that day. "You are free to go now."

As they left the office, Hermione realized that she was neither happy about McGonagall's leniency nor angry about the fact that she had detention because she'd listened to her idiotic friends. Instead, she frowned at Harry and Ron, who were glorying in the fact that they hadn't lost their first visit to Hogsmeade and kept her silence.

* * *

Letters arrived for each of them the next morning, giving them the details of their detentions. Though all three would be working on the same task, they had been assigned to different teachers, no doubt to ensure that they were separated from each other. To Hermione's dismay, her letter said that her detention would be served with Snape.

"Lovely," she said aloud, throwing the piece of parchment aside, "I get stuck with the impossible one."


	4. Detention

Hermione glanced at her watch one last time and grumbled as she hurriedly scratched out the conclusion for her most recent Potions assignment. On the one hand, she knew that she couldn't be late for her detention, or Snape would be furious with her and most likely assign more detentions…or homework, which would be just as bad. On the other hand, she was suddenly infuriated at the fact that he had given her detention in the first place. Ironically, she knew that she deserved it and that she had no right to be angry about it.

Shoving her essay between the pages of her Potions book, she grabbed her winter cloak and sped out of the Gryffindor common room. It took her a mere three minutes to run down the staircases and corridors that stood between the common room and Snape's empty dungeon office, which was as impossibly cold as it always was. She threw her cloak over her shoulders as she approached a table that had been set up in the corner of the room, wondering where he could possibly be.

"Ah, Miss Granger," came the low, dark voice from the door she had just walked through, startling her. "I am told that you have been informed of your task already," he said, levitating four large boxes onto the table in front of her.

"Yes, sir, I have," she replied glaring at the smirk that was spreading across his face. She had never wanted to smack someone so bad in her life.

"You are to take the cards from these two boxes," he said, gesturing to the two oldest-looking ones, "write 'graduated' or 'dropped out' on those of the students who have left us, and then file them in these two boxes." He ended with a gesture to the two brand-new boxes sitting on the table. "You have two hours, and if you are not done by then, you will simply have to complete the task later. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir, but how am I supposed to know whether they graduated or simply dropped out?"

"Oh, yes, I quite forgot." He walked to his desk and came back, carrying an impossibly large stack of parchment. "These are the records of those whose names you will find in those boxes. You will find the details you need on these. Remember - two hours." He strode back to his desk and seated himself behind it, pulling a book toward him and starting to read.

Hermione shot one last glare at him and then set to work. It would take an impossible amount of time for her to finish it all. It took at least 10 minutes for the very first card, having to find the name in the stack of parchment, which was not alphabetized, locate the necessary information, write it on the card, and then file it away. Once, she dared to reach for her wand, hoping to speed up the process by magically alphabetizing the stack at the very least.

"No magic, Miss Granger," Snape growled, his eyes no longer on his book. How long had he been watching her?

* * *

An hour and a half later, Hermione was still hard at work. She couldn't be burdened with another detention when she had so much homework left to do in the coming week. The cards she was filing were almost impossible to read, Filch's messy handwriting leaving an illegible series of lines and loops on each. Her eyes had begun to ache from the strain they were experiencing in the attempt to read the caretaker's records of delinquency.

Suddenly, the next card in the box caught her eye as she wrote "graduated" on the one in front of her. She knew she should have expected this, but the sight of Fred's name still caught her by surprise. Before she even had a chance to try to keep the tears from coming, they were spilling over her cheeks, leaving long ribbons of glistening wetness in their wake. She tried with all of her might to silence her sobs, but she was apparently trying in vain.

"Miss Granger, these records are important to Mr. Filch. I'm sure he wouldn't want them ruined by your memories of every idiotic boy you had a fling with." Once again, that smirk began to consume his features.

Suddenly, Hermione lost all sense of self control, and she snapped. She stood forcefully, throwing her chair back from the table. All she wanted to do in that moment was to wipe that smile off of his face. "How dare you talk to me like that. My life is none of your business, and you would do better to keep your sarcastic, uninformed opinions to yourself," she screamed, her voice echoing off the walls of the dimly lit dungeon room.

Snape stood slowly from his desk, towering over her, his height intimidating. "Need I remind you that I am a teacher, Miss Granger," he asked, his voice as cold as the room surrounding them. "You are to show me respect, regardless of your views on my opinions."

"Show you respect? Oh, you mean like the respect I just got from you," she said, approaching him at a near run, now separated from him only by the desk. "That's rich. You just can't stand the fact that I'm right about your being an evil little git."

It was Snape's turn to move now, and he did so, walking quickly around his desk to face her directly. He could no longer contain his anger. "You dare to call me names when you are no better yourself," he yelled at her, grabbing the front of her robes, "always correcting people, holding your knowledge over everyone's heads. Face it, girl, you are just like me, superior over all in your environment, and yet you dare to call me an evil git." He finished, breathing hard, his throat pained from the exertion he had just subjected it to. His hand still clasped her robes, and as his eyes searched her fiery ones, something stirred within him.

Without knowing what exactly he was doing, he brought his mouth firmly upon hers, his hand maintaining its grip on the front of her robes. He felt her recoil slightly at first, but within seconds, she had pressed her body against his, forcing him back until she had pushed him against the wall, never breaking their connection. She pulled his hand from the front of her robes before placing both of her arms around his neck. He dropped his hands to her hips and pressed her body into his own as he forced his tongue into her mouth, tasting every sweet inch of the moist cavern.

Suddenly, Hermione pulled away, realizing what had just happened. As they stood, breathing heavily and facing each other, she saw realization dawn on his face as well. "P-professor Snape," she stammered, looking into his eyes, unable to make a complete sentence.

"After that, you might as well call me Severus," he said, sounding almost defeated. In fact, he _had_ been defeated…by his desire for the touch of a woman, and by this girl standing in front of him. _Woman,_ he corrected himself, knowing that she had come of age almost a year and a half ago. He suddenly realized that he had, in fact, wanted this since the very first time he had seen her that year and had wanted it quite badly. The only thing holding him back from kissing her again was the fact that he didn't know how she felt about the whole situation. "Hermione," he began, continuing to gaze into her eyes, "is there any way that you could possibly want this as bad as I do?"

She hesitated for a moment, thinking first of Fred and then Ron. She realized that neither of them held any desire for her any more…that with that one kiss, she had reached a point where neither held quite the same place in her heart. Her desire for Severus, however, burned deep within her, and regardless of the fact that it could simply be lust and her longing for a relationship that at least excited her, she knew that she did want it as bad as he did. "Yes, Severus. I really do."

"No one must ever know about this…not until you've graduated."

"I know, and I understand."

He pulled her to him gently, anger no longer fueling his actions. Giving her a genuine smile, he placed his arms around her waist and felt her bring hers back to their original position around his neck. As he brought his lips slowly to hers, he felt their delicate softness and a warmth that he had never before experienced began to spread throughout his body. She opened her mouth slightly, inviting him in, and he obliged, allowing his tongue to slide gently into her mouth and caress hers. He felt the sudden urge to go farther, his manhood pressing painfully against his constricting pants. However, he knew that now was not the time, that this would be the first relationship he had ever been in that demanded that he take things slower than he was used to. Suddenly, and to his surprise, he realized that that wouldn't matter as long as he could continue to taste her sweetness for the rest of his life.

* * *

A/N: Alrighty then, this is where the fun begins! Expect to see Snape quite OOC over the next chapters, but keep in mind the changes that are occurring in his life throughout and the fact that love can change a person! Also, I've changed the rating to M simply because I don't know where the story is going to go from here. Thanks for your wonderful reviews! I appreciate every single one!


	5. Detention Again?

Hermione walked with a new spring in her step the next day, her heart filled with such joy that she felt it could explode at any minute. Severus was everything she had ever wanted in a man…he excited her to no end. His kisses sent electricity coursing through her body, not to mention that each one brought with it a feeling she had never experienced before. She supposed it was arousal, her desire to feel his bare flesh against hers, to feel him between her legs. She knew, however, that the time for the fulfillment of such desire was nowhere near, and she was content to keep things the way they were.

"You seem cheerful today, Hermione," came Harry's voice from behind her as they walked quickly to their potions class, "what's up?"

"Yeah, Hermione, what's gotten into you," Ron asked, out of breath from the effort it was taking to keep up with her.

"Oh, nothing," she replied, a smile spreading across her face. On the one hand, she wished she could tell her best friends what was going on in her life, but at the same time, she enjoyed having her own little secret. It made her feel like more of an individual and less of the 1/3 of the Golden Trio that she had been for years.

Hermione had broken up with Ron the previous evening, telling him that she felt that the relationship wasn't working out and that she thought he could do better than her. He had taken it quite well, and though he felt that there were few girls he would rather be with that were better than her, he did mention the fact that he knew it wasn't going to work in the end. He had merely wished her luck in future relationships, then dropped the subject, turning to the Potions essay that he hadn't finished and asking her for help as always.

For the first time since the battle, Hermione felt that her life was going right, that nothing could bring her down. The feeling only intensified as she pushed open the creaking door to the Potions classroom and saw Severus standing behind the teacher's desk. She had to take a deep breath to maintain her composure as her heart began to race a million miles a minute.

"Be seated," came Severus' voice, sending Hermione's body into what felt like a state of shock. She took her seat quickly, so as to keep from collapsing. "Today, you are to make one of the following potions, to be turned in at the end of class for grading." He waved his wand, making the instructions for three separate potions appear on the blackboard. "You should find none of them particularly difficult, but if in doubt, you could always ask our resident know-it-all."

Hermione had to work very hard to keep from erupting into laughter, knowing for once in her life that Severus had put no meaning behind the sarcastic comment. Perhaps to others, she did appear to be a know-it-all, but in his mind, she was his equal, and nothing less. In an effort to hide the wide smile consuming her features, she busied herself with getting out her cauldron and the ingredients she would need for her chosen potion. He had been right; none of the assigned potions looked even remotely difficult.

Nevertheless, he had plenty of criticisms ready for her work, sneering at her perfectly cut roots, turning up his nose to her potion, and asking her how she expected to be able to help her idiotic classmates if she couldn't even cut a caterpillar into even pieces. Every time he stepped to her cauldron, his actions and words brought laughter from the Slytherin side of the class and anger from the Gryffindors. What they couldn't see, however, was the brushing of their hands as he stood there, sneering at her. Neither could they see the desire in the Potions master's eyes as he seemingly cut her with cruel words. He had nearly sent her through the roof on one particular occasion, placing his hand surreptitiously on the small of her back before allowing it to drop slowly back to his side, brushing her butt as it fell.

She wholeheartedly enjoyed acting the part of the angry, crushed, know-it-all under the scrutiny of a cruel Potions professor. _This is going to be fun_, she thought, smiling to herself as she continued to add ingredients to her cauldron.

* * *

Two hours later, at the end of the lesson, Hermione bottled some of her perfectly prepared potion and labeled it. She took it to Severus' desk and pushed it into his outstretched hand. As she turned away and began to walk back to her desk, his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Miss Granger, though I would consider this an excellent result for any of your other classmates, it is well below the standards that I expect of you. You have obviously been slacking off, perhaps concentrating more on your dismal love life than on your potions? I do believe that this will be a good chance for you to begin to concentrate more in this class, starting with detention tonight at eight o'clock."

Never had she thought that detention would sound so good.

* * *

At 7:55, Hermione pushed open the door that led into Severus' office and saw him sitting at his desk, his head leaning against the back of his chair, eyes directed toward the ceiling. "I'm here for my detention, Professor," she said, smiling.

"Finally," he replied, standing quickly from his desk and walking toward her, flicking his wand at the door to ensure that it was locked. "I've been trying to grade those blasted essays for the past three hours, but I can't concentrate on anything. Some infuriating, brown-haired witch keeps running through my mind each time I try to read one."

"I wonder who that person could possibly be," Hermione said, gazing knowingly into his eyes.

"I get the strange feeling you already know, Miss Know-It-All." He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately, his hand finding its way to her curly brown hair and anchoring itself within the dark locks as his tongue invaded her mouth longingly. He felt the pressure that had been building inside of him seeping out with every second that passed. Pressing her into the door he had just locked, he allowed his hands to journey from her shoulders and down her arms, pulling her dangling hands up to his shoulders, where they assumed their usual place around his neck. He placed his own hands on her waist and then pressed his body more firmly against hers, deepening the kiss.

Hermione pulled her lips from his and looked up into his disappointed eyes. "I hate to interrupt, but the door handle is jabbing into my back. We've got to do this someplace else."

Severus laughed, his deep voice echoing around the stone walls. "Sorry, my love," he said, pulling his wand from the inside pocket of his robes. He waved it once and a magnificent, emerald-green couch appeared in the middle of the room. "Sit," he said, pulling her toward it, "I have something for you."

She sat down and turned to watch him walk into what must have been his bedroom. He reemerged moments later carrying a velvet-covered box in his hands. She turned around to face the door as he drew nearer, her heart racing as she imagined what could be in that box.

"Close your eyes," he said, removing a necklace from the box he had brought from his room. Since he was not facing her, but standing behind her, he waved a hand in front of her face to make sure her eyes were indeed closed. He then placed the necklace around her pale, beautiful neck, feeling her jump slightly at the touch of cold metal on her chest. He fastened it, then told her to open her eyes.

Hermione pulled the charm that was dangling from the cold chain up to eye level, so that she could see what her beloved had given her, feeling a strange warmth radiating from it. It was simple golden S with a small emerald glittering in the very middle. She turned, having to sit on her knees to face him properly, and pulled him down to her level. She kissed him lightly on the lips, then said "this means so much to me."

"There's one other thing I want you to see," he said, placing a hand down the front of his robes and pulling out a golden chain similar to the one around her neck. Dangling from it was a golden H with a tiny ruby inlaid in the metal. "They're to help us remember each other when we can't be together. When I think of you, your charm will grow warm if it is in direct contact with your skin. Mine will do the same whenever your thoughts turn to me."

Hermione smiled at him, her body warm not with desire, but with love for him. She followed him with her eyes as he walked around to sit beside her, pulling her to him and kissing her gently. She laid her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat, his warmth driving all thoughts from her mind. His pale skin smelled only of soap, devoid of the overpowering smell of cologne that wafted from every other male occupant of the school. She found it oddly intoxicating.

Severus ran his fingers through her hair as she leaned against him. It felt so good simply to have her this close to him. He had been lost in thought for only a few minutes before he suddenly realized that she had brought her schoolbag with her. "Love, why did you bring your books with you," he asked, a smile spreading across his face as he imagined her worrying about losing even one minute of study time.

"I didn't," she said simply, readjusting herself so that her head lay in his lap, allowing her to gaze into his eyes. "All that's in my bag is a change of clothes. See, I was wondering if I could…"

"…spend the night with me?"

"Precisely." She continued to gaze at him as he resumed his stroking of her hair. If there was one thing about her that he was addicted to, it was her hair. He was always running his fingers through it, regardless of the circumstances.

"Tomorrow _is_ Saturday," he said absentmindedly. He knew that he wanted her to stay with him, but the question was, would he be able to maintain his self-control once he was lying next to her in bed? He would have to try, he supposed. He wasn't about to turn her down. "Sounds wonderful," he said finally, smiling down at her.

Hermione smiled back at him, gazing into his dark eyes, which seemed suddenly to gleam with some warmth that she had never seen there before. She had never thought Severus capable of being even the least bit kind to anyone, let alone loving and caring, as he was with her. Perhaps one day she would ask why he never let this side of himself show around anyone else...

* * *

A/N: Well, it certainly seems as if our beloved Potions master has fallen quite hard for Miss Granger, huh? This was a hard chapter to write because I've never written an OOC Snape before and it took me a long time to decide how he would act while in the privacy of his rooms with Hermione. I know he seems awful soft when he's alone with her (not at all what we have come to know and love), but I promise that this will be explained later on. Also, just to clear this up a little, people do notice Hermione's absence, as you will see later on...it would seem quite unreal if she wasn't missed at all. Alright, after saying all of that, I would like to thank each and every one of you who have been reading and reviewing my story...I really enjoy reading your take on what's going on! I hope to hear more from all of you!


	6. The Holidays Begin

The first term of the school year had passed unbelievably quickly, what with Hermione's homework load and her times with Severus. It was finally time for the Christmas holidays, and though Harry and Ron were leaving for their break, she wasn't. She knew that Mrs. Weasley had been expecting her as well, but since Severus had to stay at the school, she had decided to stay as well. At least it would give them some much needed alone time, with no work to worry about for a couple of weeks.

She walked down to breakfast alone that morning, dreading the arrival of the mail. She had sent an owl to Mrs. Weasley the day before, telling her that she wouldn't be able to come for the holidays because she had too much work to cope with. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite sure that Ron's mother would believe it…she was such a clever woman. As she approached the Gryffindor table, Ron held a letter out to her.

"Post came early this morning," he said, continuing to shovel food into his mouth. "Mum sent me a letter," he went on, hard to understand through his mouthful of food, "saying you weren't coming with us to the Burrow. Care to explain?"

"Ron, you know I have a ton of work to do over the break. I can't afford any time off." She unrolled the scroll that Ron had handed her and found a letter full of concern from his mother. It seemed that the major point of the letter was the fact that too much work would impact her health, and would she please reconsider her decision to stay at school over the holidays.

"I have the strange suspicion that you don't plan to do any work at all while we're away," said Harry, frowning at her. "I think it has something to do with the reason for your disappearance every Friday night. I would assume that you were simply going to the library, but as you never take any books with you and don't even show up again until Sunday evening..."

"All the more reason for me to get caught up on things," she said, now scribbling an apologetic note on the back of Mrs. Weasley's letter and handing it to Ron. "Could you give this to your mum for me when you get there?"

"I suppose," he replied, now standing from the table. "Harry and I have got to pack. You're still more than welcome at my house, y'know."

"I know, but I really must keep to my priorities." She watched them briefly as they left the Great Hall, finally beginning to eat breakfast herself. What she wouldn't give to be able to tell them the truth at that moment, to be able to wipe the disappointment off of their faces. Just then, she felt something brush against her back and looked around just in time to see Severus walking quickly to the front of the Hall, his black robes billowing out behind him. She could feel something in the waistband of her school skirt and pulled it out, realizing that it was a letter.

_Dearest,_

_I have had your things moved to my room for the duration of the holidays. As no other seventh_

_year Gryffindors are staying behind, this should not appear suspicious, but I do have other plans_

_just in case. See you soon, my love._

_Yours forever,_

_Severus_

Hermione smiled as she finished reading the letter. She had been thinking of the very same thing all morning.

* * *

After seeing Harry and Ron off on the Hogwarts Express to London, Hermione walked back to the castle, her mind dwelling on what the coming weeks could bring. She had spent all of her time outside of classes and the weekends working on homework for the entire two weeks leading up to the holidays, simply so that she could concentrate only on Severus. Now she was all his, free to do whatever he had planned, and she couldn't wait.

As promised, Severus met her in the eerily deserted entrance hall once she finally made it back to the school. It was no longer quite as important to hide themselves away completely, simply because the majority of the school was gone, along with a few of the other professors who had other matters to attend to. This left the castle extremely empty and greatly reduced their chances of being seen together, regardless of where they might be.

"We need to discuss something before we get settled in for the holidays," he said quietly, holding the door to the dungeons open for her.

"And what would that be?"

"Hermione, I think it's time that someone else in this castle knows about us…simply for the matter of damage control should something get out." He stopped in the dimly-lit passageway and turned to face her. "I've already informed them that I will be meeting with them in a couple of hours and that I will be bringing one other person."

"Who is this meeting going to be with, Severus?" Her mind was filled with possibilities, some of them agreeable, others downright detestable.

"The Headmistress," he said, looking down at her, worry obvious in his eyes. "Is this okay with you, or should I make other plans?"

Hermione couldn't even imagine what McGonagall would have to say about the whole situation, and she felt more frightened of speaking with her about it than she would if she had to present herself in front of a room full of ministry employees. "I suppose that's okay. Are you sure she's going to be okay with this?"

"Can't say I'm sure, but I am hopeful," he said, turning to unlock his office door. "She's the only one who may understand what's going on and would be the best person to clear things up should something go wrong."

Hermione allowed him to pull her into his office and straight to his bedroom. There lay her trunk and her school books. "Thank you for having all of this brought down for me, Severus," she said, kissing him on the cheek before beginning to organize her things around the room.

He smiled at her as he watched her work. She had always been one for order and it was definitely showing now. It would be nice to have her there with him every night, to be able to watch her sleep with his arms around her. It was going to be the best Christmas he had ever had…assuming that McGonagall didn't fire him for dating a student.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Hermione and Severus stood outside the Headmistress' office, looking at one another, both of their hearts racing.

"This is it," Severus said, wondering what was about to come, worry seeping from every pore of his body. It wasn't like him to be afraid, but then again, he had never had to tell the Headmistress that he was dating the best student in the school. "Are you sure you're still okay with this?"

Hermione swallowed, her breathing very shallow. "Yeah," she said quietly, surprised that her voice was even audible. "Better get this over with, I guess."

Severus knocked on the door, and they heard footsteps approaching from the other side.

A/N: Okay, so I know some unlikely things are beginning to happen, but just bear with me! Everything is going to play out in the end and will hopefully make for a good story! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	7. Meeting with McGonagall

A/N: I would just like to thank everyone who has been taking the time to read and review this story! It's such a rush to read all of your comments! I hope that this chapter will be to your liking!

* * *

Hermione could feel her heart pounding against her ribs as the door to the Headmistress' office began to swing open. Her lungs seemed to stop working as her entire body quivered with nervousness. _Nothing good can come of this_, she thought to herself, watching as Professor McGonagall appeared in the doorway.

"Good afternoon, Severus," the Headmistress said, her eyes automatically falling upon the one person she had truly expected. Moments later, her eyes fell upon Hermione, and she added, "and to you, Miss Granger. Please come in and have a seat."

The couple did as she had instructed, glancing at each other once they were seated but not daring to hold each other's gaze for more than a few seconds. This was one issue that needed to be broken gently to the Headmistress, and showing it outright was not the way to go about it.

Professor McGonagall seated herself behind her desk, folded her hands in front of her, and then turned an expectant gaze to Severus. "You wanted to speak with me?"

"Y-yes," Severus stammered, suddenly at a loss for words. The woman in front of him had always been intimidating, but seemed even more so now, and it did absolutely nothing for his nerves. It was in that instant that he realized that he wasn't nervous because of the possibility of losing his job, but because he knew that he could lose Hermione in the process.

"I don't have all day, Severus. I assume you have a good reason for wanting me to meet with you and Miss Granger."

"We do have a good reason for wanting to meet with you, Professor," Hermione spoke up, knowing that patience was not a virtue carried by the Headmistress. "We actually happen to need your help and…approval if you are willing to bestow it."

Hearing Hermione's voice seemed to be quite effective at calming Severus' nerves and he was finally able to speak. "Minerva, I know well the rules set forth by this school in the matter of relations between students and teachers. I do not wish to completely break every one of them, but Miss Granger and I are in a somewhat difficult situation at the present."

"And this would be?" McGonagall's face was now a mask of confusion, and she obviously had no idea what the man across from her could possibly be talking about.

"We couldn't help it, Professor," came Hermione's voice again, her voice sounding stronger than she felt. "I just ask that you will allow Professor Snape to tell you the full story before you make judgments about either of us."

"Of course, Miss Granger. And I must say that I admire your daring to tell me to be fair regardless of the fact that I am in a position superior to yours." Rather than being angry about Hermione's audacity, however, McGonagall said this with a small smile, one of few that ever appeared on her face.

Severus finally began their story, telling it from their very first kiss right through to the fact that they had, in fact, been spending weekends together in his quarters. He was quick to add that they had never gone past the point of kissing, obviously hoping that this would soften the blow upon the Headmistress.

"I must say that I am shocked at the both of you," McGonagall began, now sounding quite angry. "Severus, I've always trusted you to maintain the traditional relationship between student and teacher, and you have never let me down before. And as for you, Miss Granger, I thought you valued the rules more than this."

"Professor, technically, we haven't broken any rules," Hermione said quietly, trying not to sound bossy. "The rules you are referring to simply state that professors are not allowed to have relationships with students who are underage. Since I am of age, we seem to have done nothing wrong according to the rule books."

"Be that as it may, I am still shocked at the fact that you two have been participating in a relationship before having cleared it with me at least."

"That's part of the reason we are here, Minerva," Severus said, glancing quickly at Hermione and then back at the Headmistress.

McGonagall considered the matter for a few moments, looking at both of the people in front of her. Both of them wore looks on their faces that clearly conveyed the fact that they were deeply in love and nothing was going to change that. "I suppose, since you have not broken any rules, you have my approval for this relationship to continue during your remaining time here. I couldn't possibly break you two up, since you both look like love-sick puppies."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said breathlessly, a smile spreading quickly across her face, "but there is still the matter of our needing your help."

"Let me guess…damage control? You want me to be there to patch things up should someone see something that you don't want them seeing?"

"Yes, Minerva. We wish for our relationship to remain a secret until Hermione's graduation, at which point it would not be looked upon as inappropriate." Severus studied the Headmistress' face as she seemed to consider the matter.

"While I would love to say that whatever you two get yourselves into is your fault, you know I can't do that. I promise to help where I can, just make sure that you keep your heads down once the rest of the school is back."

"We will, Professor," Hermione said, her glee fully apparent. She and Severus had been given the approval they needed, meaning that she no longer ran the risk of losing him.

"There is one more matter I wish to discuss with you, Minerva," Severus said, his nervousness returning once again. "Actually, I need to discuss it with both of you. Would you care to join us on this side of the desk, Minerva?" As she walked around, Severus stood from his chair and pulled Hermione to her feet as well. Ensuring that the Headmistress was where she could see the proceedings, he pulled a small box from inside his robes and kneeled on the floor in front of Hermione. "My love, I know we haven't been together very long and that it seems that we have barely gotten to know our true selves. However, I also know that I love you and that my life would be meaningless if it were not spent with you."

Hermione began to cry, knowing exactly what was coming. Indeed, as he knelt there and opened the tiny box, a silver ring with a single onyx stone was revealed. She knew what his next words were going to be before they had even left his mouth.

"Hermione," he said, taking the ring from the box and sliding it onto her left ring finger, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Her tearful nod meant more than any words ever could, and he rose from his kneeling position to kiss her gently.

McGonagall stood with happy tears leaving trails on her cheeks, both bewildered and completely understanding. "And to think I had been entertaining the idea of breaking you two up," she cried, smiling at them both.

Severus laughed, his arms remaining around Hermione until he knew that he had to let her go just long enough to convey his ideas to the Headmistress. "Minerva, I was wondering if you would be agreeable to the idea of Hermione and I being married on the grounds the day after graduation, so that all of her school friends can attend."

"That's a wonderful idea. Since it's going to take place so soon, if you find yourselves needing help with the planning, I'm more than willing to lend a hand."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said, tears of happiness still cascading down her face, "we really appreciate everything."

"Well, Lord knows we could use something to cheer us all up after what happened last year. And who better to provide that than you two."


	8. The Plan

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating...it's this whole annoying idea of final exams that's been holding up the process. I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews, and would also like to comment briefly. I've noticed that some feel that things are happening just a little too fast, while others feel things are moving too slowly. While I'd love to say that this was the whole point (which I can't), I must say that I am intrigued by the differing views. However, my plan was to create an emotional rollercoaster of sorts, not necessarily having a lot of ups and downs, but a lot of unexpected twists and turns. In other words, important things may happen quite quickly among the slower-moving parts. So, that being said, please bear with me as we begin yet another chapter! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Hermione walked back to the dungeons arm in arm with her new fiancé. Suddenly, the world looked so much different…brighter, more promising. As she gazed up at him, she felt a love that she had never before thought possible.

Severus looked down at his soon-to-be bride, his heart soaring. _She said "yes,"_ he thought to himself continuously, hardly daring to believe it. "I love you, my dear," he said, smiling at her.

Hermione pulled her arm from his and wrapped it instead around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. "I love you too, Severus." She was suddenly very grateful for the emptiness of the school, as she felt that she could not have kept from touching him during the long walk back to the dungeons, even in the interest of maintaining their privacy.

As they finally reached his office, Severus opened the door and led Hermione inside, closing the door behind them. They had transformed the cold office into a sort of sitting room to make it more comfortable for their holidays together, and he marveled at how warm it suddenly felt. He couldn't determine whether the new warmth was a result of the new décor or because of the fact that the love of his life had just agreed to marry him. Following Hermione to the emerald-colored couch they had now placed against the back wall, he decided to believe that the latter was the cause for the change in atmosphere.

Hermione allowed Severus to sit down before she sat and curled up against his warm body. She felt his hand immediately move to her hair and smiled to herself. She ran the fingers of her right hand over the onyx ring, the cold metal convincing her of the reality of what had happened in the Headmistress' office. Suddenly, she felt Severus remove his hand from her hair and she turned to look up at him. She watched as he placed a pillow on his lap and patted it, gesturing for her to lie back. She obliged and immediately felt him resume his stroking of her hair. She closed her eyes as he placed one of his large hands on her stomach.

Severus felt Hermione's breathing become slow and even and knew that she had fallen asleep. He continued to run his fingers through her hair as his thoughts turned back to the night that he had come back to the mortal world. At that point, he had felt that Lily had been more than wrong in telling him that the true love of his life could be found at Hogwarts. He had been so sure that no woman could ever replace Lily in his heart or even be deserving of his love. How wrong he had been. As he sat there and watched Hermione sleep, he realized that nothing could ever make him happier.

* * *

Harry and Ron had locked themselves in Ron's bedroom on the top floor of the Burrow, eager to discuss their theories about what Hermione was really up to. They had had a hard time convincing Mrs. Weasley that she needn't worry about them so and that they weren't hungry, though they were truly starving.

"Well, there's one thing that we know she won't be doing," Harry said, looking at Ron and feeling frustrated with the whole situation. "Work is definitely out of the question. I still say that her reason for staying has to do with her weekend disappearances.'

"I agree, but why does she disappear in the first place." Ron asked, his stomach suddenly giving a very audible rumble.

"I think she's already seeing someone else. It's the only thing that makes her leaving her books behind all the time make sense. "

"Yeah, but how does she get away with spending weekends with another student? I mean, where are they going?" Ron didn't bother to hide his disdain at the fact that Hermione would already be dating someone else so soon after having broken off her relationship with him.

"You're right, I guess, but nothing else makes sense."

"I've got it," Ron suddenly exclaimed, standing up, "why don't we follow her under the invisibility cloak one Friday to see where she's going?"

"It's a good idea, but I think only I'd better do it. If you go, she'll think you're trying to get revenge for her breaking up with you or something stupid like that."

Ron laughed. "You're probably right, mate."

With that being said, Harry and Ron made their way down to the kitchen, having decided that it was finally time for them to eat.

* * *

Hermione awoke suddenly, staring up at the dungeon ceiling. She could hear Severus snoring quietly above her, one hand still on her stomach and the other in her hair. She glanced at her watch and, realizing that it was only five o'clock, rose slowly, trying not to disturb him. It didn't work though. As soon as she began to move, he jerked awake, almost as if he had been waiting for her to get up.

"Sleep well, my dear," he asked, stretching and yawning as she got up and smoothed her hair.

Hermione laughed. "Even if I hadn't, you certainly seem to have." She kissed him and then added, "and yes, I did sleep well."

"Where are you off to?"

"Dinner. I'm starving. It's been a very eventful day, after all."

It was Severus' turn to laugh as he rose from the couch and smoothed his robes. "I think I'll join you."

Though they walked up to the Entrance Hall together, they entered the Great Hall separately so that they didn't risk raising suspicion. So few people had remained at school for the holidays (owing no doubt to the somewhat dismal feel of the castle after the battle) that only one table had been set up for the diners. Hermione couldn't help but smile when she saw that there were only two seats left at the table, conveniently located right beside the Headmistress. She wondered if McGonagall had planned it. Hermione took the seat farthest from her and then watched as Severus entered the Hall moments later.

"Good evening, Severus," McGonagall said as he took his seat between her and Hermione. "Have you had a good day?"

Severus shook his head slightly, amused. He had never known the Headmistress to have much of a sense of humor, but she was certainly letting it show now. "Very good thanks."

During the entire meal, Severus ate with only one hand, keeping his other on Hermione's knee. He noticed that McGonagall did her best to keep a conversation going between the two of them, knowing that he couldn't very well strike up a conversation with Hermione without people starting to wonder. Everyone but McGonagall thought that he couldn't stand Hermione, after all. They would be in for a surprise at the end of the year, when he made her his wife.


	9. Blissful Procrastination

A/N: First of all, I'd like to wish MrsHermioneSeverusSnape a very happy belated birthday! :) Second, thanks to everyone who reviewed for Chapter 8...I'm still really enjoying getting to read what you all think about how the story's going! And last, but not least, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it, so I hope it'll be fun to read!

The day before Christmas dawned cloudy and cold. Severus' dungeon bedroom seemed to have taken in as much of the freezing temperature as it possibly could, and though he didn't find it uncomfortable, he felt Hermione shiver in his arms. He shifted his body closer to hers and pulled the blankets up over her shoulders. It was not his custom to keep his rooms warm, but that would have to change purely for her sake.

The first week of their holidays had passed in a rush of busyness. When they weren't simply enjoying each other's company, they were hurriedly trying to get the majority of the wedding planning done before the beginning of the new term. He found it interesting to watch Hermione swing into action, doing what she did best - organize. He had come to realize, however, that planning a wedding was a lot tougher than he ever could have imagined, and he admired her for being able to put up with it all and still have time for him during the day. In all reality, he simply wanted to be done with all of the formalities so that they could begin their new life together.

He felt Hermione begin to stir and knew that she was waking up. It was unfortunate really. He yearned for moments like these, when he could just lay there with her in his arms, her warmth spreading throughout his body. Once she woke up, however, she didn't feel there was time to lie around, no matter how good it felt. He supposed he could understand why; Hermione was an incredibly busy person, one who would have benefited from 48-hour days. Still, this was one habit of hers he was determined to break, starting today.

As she made to get up, he tightened his arms around her, whispering, "just a few more minutes, my love. We don't have to begin our day right away."

Hermione turned to face him, smiling sleepily. "I never would have thought that Severus Snape, king of giving entirely too much homework, would want to teach me procrastination."

"A few minutes won't hurt anything, especially since our holidays seem to be passing so fast. Before we know it, we'll be back to those short weekend visits, and they're simply not enough." He leaned in closer to her and kissed her gently, feeling her lips part slightly in an invitation for him to deepen the kiss. He obliged, using his tongue to taste every part of her sweet mouth. He couldn't think of a better way to start the day.

Hermione gently pulled away and gazed into his eyes, a smile playing on her lips. "You're right, Severus, procrastination is amazing." She kissed him again, allowing her lips to linger on his for a few moments. It did feel so good to have his arms around her in the warmth of his bed. She suddenly felt like she could stay there all day. She knew she couldn't though, and said so apologetically before getting up and putting on her bathrobe over her pajamas, heading to the bathroom.

Severus groaned, knowing that was his cue to get up and dress, so that by the time Hermione reemerged from the bathroom, she would have the privacy she needed while changing. He put on his usual black robes over the crisp white shirt and black pants and exited the room. He busied himself with making a fire in the grate while he heard sounds of movement coming from the bedroom. He tried to concentrate on the flames in front of him as his mind went into overdrive, wondering what she looked like when she was less than fully clothed. He hated not being able to control his thoughts yet she seemed to impair his ability to do so on a daily basis.

He heard the bedroom door open and close, then Hermione's soft footsteps approaching him from behind.. She wrapped her arms around him and said, "shall we just skip breakfast this morning? It'll give us a few more moments alone before we really need to think about getting back to the planning."

"Actually, I think you'll find that we won't be getting much done today." He turned around to face her, gazing into her beautiful eyes. "I have a special surprise for you. First, however, I agree that we should skip breakfast. There are better things I could do with my time this morning." He leaned down and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her body firmly into his. It was going to be a wonderful day.

* * *

Severus and Hermione walked arm-in-arm down the snow-covered main street in Hogsmeade. They seemed to be the only ones out and about in the freezing weather, which allowed them the freedom to act like a couple without fear of being seen and having rumors start flying about. Severus had contacted the shop owners long before, instructing them to keep their silence about his relationship with Hermione, regardless of what they saw.

"Are you ever going to tell me why we're here," Hermione asked, smiling up at him and squeezing his arm playfully.

"Well, I've always wanted to take you on a real date," Severus replied, returning her smile, "and what better time and place than Hogsmeade on a freezing-cold day?"

"Don't you think it's strange that no one else is around? It _is_ Christmas Eve, after all."

"I expect they're probably all holed up in the Three Broomsticks, trying to keep warm," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "That is why I've asked Madam Rosmerta to let us use one of the private parlors today. She seemed all too happy to do so, though I'm quite sure I intimidated the woman."

"Isn't intimidating people what you live for, darling?" She planted a quick kiss on his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder, a feeling of bliss coursing through every inch of her body.

"Of course it is, but it's a pity that I don't even have to try anymore. Sort of takes the fun out of it for me." He laughed, kissing the top of her head and leading her through an alleyway that would take them behind the Three Broomsticks, allowing them to enter the pub without being seen.

* * *

After a wonderful lunch tucked away in the comfortable warmth of their private parlor, they had reemerged into the cold winter's day. As they walked, the snow covering the ground crunched underfoot while more fell from the gray sky. Yet oddly enough, neither of them had ever felt happier, regardless of the fact that even Severus, who was so accustomed to the cold, was shivering slightly.

"One more stop, then we can head back to the castle," he said, pausing outside of a bookstore and turning to face her. "I must leave you here, though, because I'll be picking up your Christmas present." He kissed her quickly and opened the door for her, feeling the warmth wafting out of the building. Ensuring that she was safely inside, he started the short walk to his destination - a jewelry shop.

He opened the door and walked quickly up to the shopkeeper's counter, ringing the small bell positioned there. As he waited impatiently for the shopkeeper to emerge, he glanced around at all of the magically imbued necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and watches that surrounded him. It was here that he had had their necklaces made. Instinctively, he touched his, feeling the warmth radiating from it as Hermione thought about him back at the bookstore. It never grew cold, her thoughts apparently remaining with him every hour of the day, and he hoped that she experienced the same constant warmth.

"Ah, Severus," came the voice of the shopkeeper, finally appearing in his place behind the counter. "Come to pick up your order, I suppose?"

"Why else would I be here, old man," Severus asked irritably. He hated it when people stated the obvious…unless, of course, it was Hermione telling him she loved him. That was a different matter entirely, though.

The shopkeeper pulled a velvet-covered box from under the counter and opened it for Severus to see its contents. Severus gave a small nod and pulled a pile of Galleons from inside his robes, placing them on the counter as the shopkeeper closed the box and handed it to him. He slipped it into the same pocket that had held the money just moments ago and then set off back to the bookstore to meet Hermione.


	10. Christmas Joy

A/N: Thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews I have been receiving!! It really is those of you who review for every chapter that are keeping this story rolling, seeing as how I probably would have given up by now without your encouragement! That being said, here's the newest chapter!!

* * *

When Severus opened his eyes on Christmas morning, he was surprised to find Hermione gazing avidly at him, not a trace of sleepiness in her eyes. "Good morning, my love," he said groggily, yawning widely. "What are you still doing in bed?"

"Procrastinating, remember? See how quickly I learned my lesson?" She snuggled closer to him, enjoying the warmth of his arms as they enveloped her, pulling her even closer.

"You've always been a quick learner," he replied, savoring the sweet smell of her hair, a mixture of honey and vanilla with a hint of brown sugar. It was intoxicating, and it took him a few moments to get his bearings. Finally, he said, "as good a learner as you are, however, we're about to go against everything I taught you yesterday about procrastination. This morning, we will start our day right away because I have a surprise for you."

Hermione kissed him quickly on the lips and then rose from the bed, excitement flooding through her body as she prepared to perform her morning ritual of getting ready. Before she could move away from the bed, however, she felt Severus' hand on her wrist and turned to look into his eyes.

"Christmas morning is best spent in one's pajamas," he said to her, returning her gaze as he too rose from the bed. He picked up the pants and white shirt he had worn the previous day and put them on, neglecting to button up his shirt.

"Didn't you just say that Christmas morning is best spent in one's pajamas," Hermione asked, taking in Severus' slightly disheveled look.

"I did, but I don't own any pajamas, darling. Why do you think I sleep only in my boxers?" He looked at her, laughing at the look on her face, which was a mixture of slight embarrassment and puzzlement. "It's simply more comfortable that those constricting things that people call pajamas, at least while I'm sleeping. And what's the point in buying a pair that I would use only when I was awake anyway?" This statement brought the giggle from her that he had been waiting for, and he smiled as he led her from the bedroom and into their makeshift sitting room.

A beautiful table set for two situated in the middle of the room caught Hermione's eye. There were plates and bowls filled with various breakfast foods and ornate pitchers filled with hot chocolate and coffee. The dishes gleamed in the flickering light cast by candles that were hovering above the table. "Severus, it's beautiful! How did you…"

"The house elves were more than willing to set it up for us after having heard our good news. Can't hide anything from a house elf." He walked to the table and pulled out a chair for Hermione to sit down, then took his own across from her.

They ate and talked, casting loving gazes across the table at each other while discussing the upcoming term and the wedding that would take place afterwards. Hermione saw herself spending the rest of her life with the man across from her more clearly now than ever before. Despite his cold and dominating presence in classes and among the general population of the school, she had grown to know him as a caring and sensitive individual. In her eyes, he was perfect, though she had just one question that she felt she must ask of him.

Finishing his breakfast, Severus stood, helped Hermione to her feet, and walked to one of the armchairs that now sat in front of the fire. Hermione sat sideways on his lap, a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. He wrapped an arm around her back and felt her lean into his body. This was bliss

"Darling, can I ask you a question," Hermione began, her head resting on his shoulder.

"You can ask me anything you want, my love," he replied, rubbing her back gently.

"Why are you so different when we're around the rest of the school? You're so kind and gentle when we're alone, but in classes you're harsh and mean." She placed her cup of hot chocolate on an end table and then wrapped her arms around him. "Other people should get to see the Severus I know."

He had to think for a few moments, absently stroking her back as he considered how much he should tell her. He knew he should tell her the whole story, but felt that the majority of it could wait for a day that wasn't supposed to be filled with happiness. Instead, he settled for the shorter version. "Hermione, I've always been a guarded person, and I've never been able to fully trust anyone before; not even Dumbledore. I suppose I've just been through too much sorrow in my life to want to have anything to do with the people around me. Intimidating people is what has always kept me feeling like someone with power...someone who's worth something. With you, it's different. No one had ever showed me true love before. The moment you told me that you wanted to be with me, something inside of me changed, a door opened, and I found that I didn't need the false show of power around you." He paused for a moment, considering his next words, wondering what he needed to say to convey his true feelings. Finally, he said, "You make me feel like someone who has true worth, and that's what makes all the difference."

A tear slid slowly down Hermione's cheek as what he said bombarded her heart. She tried to wipe it away without him seeing, but she felt his hand brush her cheek before she even had time to remove her arm from around him. "I love you so much, Severus," she said, trying to keep the tears out of her voice.

"And I love you more than you could ever imagine," he replied, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "That's why I've bought you a Christmas present, one you never would have dreamed of." He used his wand to levitate the velvet-covered box from its resting place on his desk and then handed it to her.

Hermione opened the box slowly and two gleaming rings met her eyes. Both had a tiny onyx stone set between two stones of equal size, one an emerald, the other a ruby. "Are these our wedding rings," she asked, looking up to meet his gaze.

"They're so much more than that, Hermione. I know we'd planned on having a regular muggle wedding because it seemed to be in our better interests, especially since a binding between a witch and wizard lasts until the death of both. However, after a lot of soul searching while you were doing the rest of the planning, I realized that I was the only one holding back from the idea of being bound to you. In the end, I finally found that my love for you could never be replaced or taken by another, even if you were no longer alive." He smiled at her taking her free hand in his and gazing into her beautiful eyes. "The onyx is the traditional binding stone, and in these rings, it is situated between a ruby, symbolizing you, and an emerald, symbolizing myself. I want to be bound to you, Hermione, and these rings represent a binding that is stronger than any other."

"Severus," Hermione whispered, her voice barely audible as her tears consumed it almost completely.

He kissed her gently, tasting the saltiness of her happy tears as they flowed freely. Finally, his life was the epitome of bliss that he had been searching for.


	11. Back to Gryffindor Tower

A/N: Well, here it is...Chapter 11! Once again, I appreciate all of your reviews!

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After having spent a blissful two weeks with Severus, Hermione was loath to have her things moved back to her Gryffindor dormitory. The last thing she wanted to do was end the constant togetherness that they had had during their holidays, but there was no other option. "I'll be back this Friday, I promise," she said to him, embracing him tightly as she watched a house elf Disapparate with her trunk.

"That seems ages away, Hermione," he replied, his arms already aching at the thought that he would have to wait an entire week to hold her again.

"Just remember that in a few months' time, we will be married and we won't have to be separated like this anymore," Hermione said, though the thought wasn't comforting her in the least.

* * *

She was sitting in the Gryffindor common room when Harry and Ron arrived with the rest of the Gryffindors that afternoon. "Did you have a good holiday, boys," she asked, not looking up from the book that Severus had given her as a second Christmas gift. As she felt the charm beneath her shirt grow warmer than usual, she wondered if Severus was reading the large potions book she had given him for Christmas.

"It was really nice to get away from the school," Harry replied, jolting Hermione from her reverie. "You really should have come with us."

"Yeah, Hermione, we had a great time! I wish you would have been there. Ginny and mum got into it over the state of Harry's hair, of all things." Ron laughed through a mouthful of candy, clearly enjoying himself. "Mum told her that she didn't know enough about Harry to know that long hair fit him well, as if personality had anything to do with how people look. Little did mum know, Harry and Ginny spent the entire holidays snogging behind anything that was big enough to hide them."

Harry ran a hand through his hair, muttering, "my hair's not even that long," as he blushed deepest red.

"That's wonderful, boys. I'm glad you had a good time," Hermione said distractedly, turning a page of her book and continuing to read. She was in absolutely no mood to listen to their stories of life at the Burrow during the holidays. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the coming weekend, hoping that it would arrive quickly.

"Hermione, why don't you join the living for a change," Harry said, waving a hand in front of her eyes. "You can read when classes start back." He snatched the book from her and read the title from the leather cover. "Theory of Potion Creation? Hermione, didn't you just spend an entire two weeks working on school work? Why not give it a rest?"

"Because this isn't schoolwork," she replied, taking her book back from him and finding her page again. "Ever heard of reading purely for entertainment?"

"Hardly seems entertaining," Ron said as he opened a chocolate frog and stuffed it in his mouth.

Hermione bristled suddenly, standing up quickly from the chair she had been occupying and turning to face Ron and Harry. "It's called broadening your mind, Ron. Maybe you should try it sometime." With that, she stormed up to her dormitory and lay down on her bed, wanting nothing more than to feel Severus' arms enveloping her with warmth, his lips brushing against hers. It was going to be a long week.

* * *

Severus sat at his desk in the office that had been transformed back into the cold, unfeeling room it had been before Hermione's stay. Several charts lay in front of him, all waiting to be filled in with his lesson plans for the coming week. His quill, however, lay discarded halfway across the room. In a fit of frustration at his fiancée's sudden absence, as well as his inability to concentrate on anything but her, he had thrown it with all the force he could muster. His head in his hands, he felt the charm resting on his chest grow increasingly warmer.

He stood, briefly wondering what would happen if he ventured to the Gryffindor common room and asked for her. _Yeah, that would keep people from becoming suspicious_, he thought to himself, suddenly the victim of his own sarcasm. Then again, there was Legilimency, even though it would be quite difficult to reach Hermione from such a distance. At least then, he could know what she was thinking and perhaps convey some of his own thoughts to her. _I don't have her permission, though_, he reminded himself, suddenly feeling quite stranded.

He walked to his bookshelf in the corner and took from it the book she had given him for Christmas. Normally, he would sit at his desk to read. Today, however, he would read in bed, even though it was only the middle of the afternoon. His bed was the only thing left in his quarters that still smelled like her.

* * *

Harry sat in a dazed silence in the common room, watching Ron continue to shove sweets into his mouth. It had been a good half hour since Hermione had deserted them, but he was still quite shocked at her sudden anger toward them. He was used to her being touchy, especially when she was reading, but it seemed like her temper had been quite a bit shorter than usual.

"She's just being herself, I expect," Ron said suddenly through a mouthful of chocolate. "After all, we are about to start our last term here and N.E.W.T.s are coming up soon. You know how she gets when she's stressed."

"First of all, could you please stop eating long enough for us to have an understandable conversation," Harry asked him, realizing for the first time why Ron's gluttony seemed to bother Hermione so much. When Ron had finally put away his bag of candy, Harry continued. "I don't think she is being herself, Ron. Sure, there's plenty that could have her overly stressed, but she normally has the decency to apologize for her random outbursts, and she doesn't seem to be willing to do so today."

"What else could it be?"

"I suppose we'll find out this Friday, won't we?" Harry thought of the invisibility cloak up in his dormitory. He hadn't used it to spy on someone in a long time, and a small measure of guilt was already making its presence known as he solidified his plan to follow her that weekend.

"So you still plan to follow her, then? Under the invisibility cloak?"

"Yeah, I do," Harry replied, the guilt intensifying. "I just wish there was another way. I wonder why she doesn't trust us enough to just tell us what's going on?"

"Maybe she can't tell us." Ron suddenly realized that he was worried about her, wondering if she could possibly be in trouble. Even if they were no longer together as a couple, she was still one of the most important people in his life, and the last thing he wanted was for Hermione to get hurt.

"I think this all has something to do with the ring she was wearing," Harry said, remembering the gold band glittering on her left hand.

"Ring?" Now Ron was definitely confused, and he didn't even try to hide it from his friend.

"Yeah, it was on her left hand. It was gold and had an onyx stone."

"But the only time onyx is used in a ring is when...," Ron paused, afraid to finish his thought, as though the mere act of completing the sentence would make it a reality.

"When?" Harry stared at him, waiting for him to finish the thought that he had started. "Come on, Ron, spit it out."

"The only time onyx is used in a ring is when a witch and wizard have made plans to be...m-married. It is the traditional binding stone."

Harry stared at his friend, more confused than he could ever have thought possible.


	12. Under the Invisibility Cloak

A/N: Alright, first of all (as always) thank you to everyone who reviewed for the previous chapter. Now, it's time for the next installment in the story! This chapter was extremely hard for me to write, though I hope that it turned out OK. This chapter plays a huge role in the emotional roller coaster concept I mentioned earlier, and I hope that I've written it well enough for you to really feel what the characters are feeling. All that said, enjoy reading.

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Their classes had suddenly taken on a difficulty that even Hermione hadn't anticipated. To study meant to sit in one of the hard chairs at the library tables for three or four hours at a time. Breaks were taken for the sole purpose of nourishment and the few hours' sleep that left them all longing for the days when eight hours in their beds was a reality. All this in the very first week back was not a good sign for the rest of the term.

As if the endless hours spent studying weren't enough, Harry and Ron never ceased to bombard Hermione with questions about her "disappearances" as they called them and about the ring on her left hand. No amount of screaming at them seemed to affect them and they continued peeking around her stacks of books every five minutes, trying to catch her off guard. There were some days when she wished that she could get away with casting _Petrificus Totalus_ on them and leaving them in some dark, hidden corner where no one would find them.

The only thing keeping her sane was the warmth that radiated from the golden S every time it touched her skin. It helped her see past all the craziness of her classes to the bliss that would follow her binding to Severus. It helped her to overlook the stress building endlessly within her at times, allowing her to focus only on him during her few hours in bed or when she was eating in the Great Hall.

When Friday finally arrived, Hermione realized that even her weekends with Severus were going to be filled with endless studying. Finishing her dinner, she ran up to her dormitory in the hopes of having time to shove a change of clothes in her overly-stuffed school bag before anyone else got there. Intrigued by her luck, she rushed around the empty dormitory, grabbing the books she thought she would need and rummaging quickly in her trunk for a clean set of robes before running back down to the common room.

She swung her bag over her shoulder as she pushed her way through the portrait hole. As she reached the corridor outside of Gryffindor tower, she heard a strange thud and a swish coming from behind her, as if someone had just followed her through the portrait hole. _That's impossible_, she thought to herself, hurrying off to the dungeons, _I was the only one in the common room when I left_.

* * *

Harry followed Hermione as quickly as he dared, trying to keep a safe distance from her while attempting to muffle his footsteps. He knew she had heard his clumsy exit from Gryffindor tower, and was sure that one more noisy step would alert her to his presence.

He followed her down flight after flight of stairs, wondering where on Earth she could possibly be going. It soon became apparent, however, that her destination was the dungeons, and he began to wonder how she could possibly have gotten involved with one of the slimy Slytherins that occupied the area. He was therefore caught by surprise when she stopped at the door to Snape's office instead of continuing on to the painting guarding the Slytherin common room.

He watched as she completely neglected knocking, letting herself in and closing the door behind her. _It can't even be possible_, Harry thought to himself, trying to wipe the picture of Hermione embracing the potions master from his mind.

* * *

Hermione practically threw herself into the arms of her fiancé as she dropped her school bag on the stone floor. As his hands caressed her back softly, she felt the stress of the week seeping from her body and she relaxed into his embrace. Suddenly, the world was as it should be...blissful and calm.

Severus held her tightly, his heart swelling with joy at her sudden presence. He placed a finger under her chin to lift her face to his and kissed her softly, feeling her arms tighten around his waist. Pulling away, he said quietly, "this has been the longest week I've ever had, my love. I missed you more than you could ever imagine."

"Well, it's just you and me for the next couple of days, darling," she replied, burying her head in his chest and letting his warmth radiate throughout her body.

* * *

Harry waited for a good hour before his anger at the situation overtook his ability to think before acting. Making sure that the cloak was hiding him completely, he cast a quick silencing charm on the door and pushed slowly, hoping to keep from alerting Snape and Hermione to his presence. As he entered and shut the door quietly behind him, the sight that met his eyes drove him spiraling into a pit of hatred toward the potions master. No longer could he control himself as he watched the greasy-haired man kiss Hermione as they sat on that hideous green couch, arms around one another.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to her, you slimy git," he roared, throwing the cloak from around his shoulders.

* * *

Hermione jumped away from Severus as Harry's voice echoed loudly around the room. She glanced first to her friend, who was red in the face with rage, and then back to her fiancé, who had a look of shock plastered on his pale face. The shock didn't last long, however.

"Get out...NOW," he roared at the dark-haired Gryffindor standing in front of him.

"I don't think I will," Harry screamed back, "not when you're taking advantage of my best friend!"

Severus was in a towering rage now, and he stood, approaching Harry with long, purposeful strides, his hand moving to the pocket that held his wand. "Get out, I said," he yelled, not stopping his approach until he was mere inches from the boy.

"And I said no," Harry replied, glaring at Snape while holding his ground. "You're a professor, old enough to be her father, and yet you have your tongue down her throat. You have no morals, and if this is what you're planning on using your new life for, you should have died that night in the Shrieking Shack. The world would have been better off without you."

"Perhaps you should ask your dear Dumbledore why I'm still here, you idiotic boy," Severus said, pulling his wand from his pocket and pointing it at Harry. He paused long enough to catch his breath, still glaring at the boy in front of him. Then, in the coldest voice he could muster, he growled, "I don't know who told you to come down here tonight, Potter, but seeing as how my relationships are none of your business, you had better leave now."

"You want to know who told me about this nice little meeting, _Professor_," Harry asked, mirroring the cold voice as he thought quickly about how to drive a wedge between his friend and the slimy man standing across from him. Finally, he said, "it was your pretty little girlfriend over there. She's the one who told me." A small smile flitted across his face as Snape turned to Hermione.

"Is this true, Hermione," Severus asked, working hard to keep the disappointment from his voice. He didn't want to appear weak in front of the intruder.

"N-no, of course not, darling," she replied, her throat constricted with fright.

"Don't lie to me," he replied coldly, dropping his wand to his side. "You promised you'd keep this a secret."

"I-I did, Severus. Harry, t-tell him the truth, that I didn't tell you," she said, tears beginning to streak down her face.

"I cannot tell a lie," Harry said, backing out of the room and closing the door behind him.

"Severus, I swear, I would never break my promise to you." She tried to reach for his hand, but he pulled back from her, his eyes cold as the stone floor.

"I trusted you, Hermione, and this is how you repay me. Not only have you betrayed my trust, but now you're lying to me." He gazed into her tear filled eyes, stoniness taking the place of the warmth that had once dwelt in his own. "I opened my heart to you, and now you tear it to bits. You knew how hard it was for me to trust people, yet you have followed the footsteps of so many others in my life and let me down."

"C-can't you just use Legilimency t-to see the truth," she asked, now grasping at every option left to her. "That would show you that I'm telling the truth, that I never told."

"It would be a waste of my time. I already know what delving into your mind would show me, and you've hurt me enough as it is." Suddenly, he got some strength back and he straightened himself, allowing his old self to take over. "If that will be all, Miss Granger, please leave me. I have work to attend to."

"B-but Severus, please just trust me! I love you!" Her tears were falling hot and heavy now as she felt her heart breaking. This couldn't be the end...it just couldn't be.

"Miss Granger, as a professor, allow me to remind you that we are not on first name terms. Not to mention the fact that your confessions of love are quite inappropriate." He walked to his desk and sat, pulling some papers toward him and beginning to write. "You'd best head back to your common room now before I see fit to report you to the Headmistress for disobeying a professor's orders."

"Severus, please," she said, walking toward the desk, trying to stem the flow of her tears.

"OUT, Miss Granger," he shouted, not looking up from his work.

With that, she grabbed her bag and ran to the door, no longer trying to hold back her tears, but letting them flow freely. Outside in the corridor stood Harry, apparently waiting for her. She turned quickly away from him and began to walk quickly in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. He just wouldn't let her alone, though.

"Hermione, I'm sorry that I had to do that, but you could never be happy with someone like him," he said, tugging at her arm.

"Leave me alone, Harry," she said as they emerged into the Entrance Hall.

"But Hermione, you know I did it with your best interests in mind, right?"

"Just let me be, alright," she said, trying to keep her temper in check until they reached somewhere more private.

"Hermione, please listen to me."

It was the straw that broke the hippogriff's back. Hermione turned to him, tears continuing to flow, though these were fueled purely by anger. Right in the middle of the Entrance Hall, she snapped, yelling at him at the top of her voice, hearing it echo off of the high walls and ceiling. "What do you know about doing what's best for me, huh? I don't know if you realize it, but you just ruined my life, Harry. Friends don't do that. I'm a grown woman, and I don't need you looking after me like a little child. I love him Harry, but thanks to you, that's over. You're the slimy git, you moron."

"Miss Granger, what is all of this about," came McGonagall's voice from behind her.

"S-sorry, Professor," Hermione replied, her voice choked by her tears. "I know I shouldn't have let my anger get away with me. I'll just make my way up to the common room now."

"I think not, dear. You'll come to my office so that we can talk this through," the Headmistress said, wrapping a comforting arm around Hermione's shoulders. "As for you, Mr. Potter, there's not much that can make this poor girl blow up like she just did. I think that it will be best for you to start thinking about your apology as you get back to Gryffindor Tower."

As Hermione followed the Headmistress to her office, tears still running down her face, she felt the charm dangling from her neck grow suddenly warm. Then, just as suddenly, it became nothing more than cold metal. Severus had apparently cut the final string that was still holding them together. A fresh wave of tears replaced the old, and she suddenly felt that life would never be the same again.


	13. Damage Control

A/N: The reaction to Chapter 12 has, quite honestly, left me speechless. From your reviews (which I am extremely grateful for), I could tell that the emotions really had been conveyed quite well. Unfortunately, after such a charged chapter, I'm not sure this one's going to be exactly what you were all looking for. Nevertheless, it felt like a necessity, so here it is. Enjoy reading!

* * *

When they finally reached her office, McGonagall helped Hermione into a chair before taking a seat behind her desk. She flicked her wand at the tea kettle, which immediately began to whistle and poured some of the hot liquid into a cup for the distraught young woman across from her. Pushing it gently into Hermione's hand, she offered soothing words of comfort. When it finally appeared as though the girl had calmed down enough to speak, the Headmistress asked her to recount the whole story.

Hermione did so, beginning with Harry's sudden appearance in Severus' office and ending with her fiancé's even more sudden rejection of her. She didn't even try to hold back her tears as she told McGonagall about Severus' not trusting her even though she had assured him that she was telling the truth. Ending with the memory of her plea for his use of Legilimency on her to find the truth and his subsequent refusal to do so, she buried her head in her hands and surrendered to the sobs that wanted to take over her entire body.

"Indeed, Severus does have trust issues," the Headmistress said, gazing concernedly at Hermione. "It is strange, however, that he turned down your invitation to enter your mind. He tends to enjoy using Legilimency even if he doesn't have the permission of the subject."

"He said that he wouldn't use it on me because he knew that doing so would show that I was lying. He said that I'd already hurt him enough."

"You say that you definitely did not disclose the secret to Mr. Potter. Can you be sure that you didn't accidentally let something slip about your relationship with Severus?" She needn't have asked, however, as she knew the answer before she'd even finished asking the question. Hermione was the brightest student she had ever known and, as such, was also the most careful.

"No, I didn't, Professor," Hermione replied. "He and Ron have been bugging me about it all week. Not once did I ever let slip that I was with Severus. For that matter, I didn't even tell them that I was dating anyone."

"I think I know what has happened, Miss Granger," the Headmistress said, a very plausible idea having crept suddenly into her mind. "As you were going to meet Severus, did you hear anything strange? Perhaps something that gave you the feeling that you were being followed?"

"I did hear something that sounded like someone emerging from the portrait hole right behind me, but there had been no one in the common room when I left."

"It seems, Miss Granger, that Mr. Potter followed you under his invisibility cloak."

Anger suddenly overwhelmed Hermione. _I should have shot a hex at him when I heard him come through the portrait hole_, she thought, picturing Harry afflicted with any number of gross deformities.

Seeing the girl's anger, the Headmistress knew that she was going to have to set some boundaries in the interest of maintaining Hermione's stance as the innocent victim. "Rest assured, Miss Granger, that I will be speaking with Mr. Potter about this situation. He will be lucky if he finishes all of the detentions I have planned for him before he graduates. I'm not sure he'll even remember what Hogsmeade looks like when I'm done with him." She saw a small, tearful smile flit across Hermione's face and breathed deeply, knowing that she was finally breaking through the defenses put up by the girl's heartache. "As such, I must ask that you keep your head down and resist the temptation to curse the idiotic boy. I need you to promise me that you will do so."

"I promise," Hermione replied, imagining Harry's complaints about having detention every day of the week for the rest of the term. It was such a nice thought.

"Now it seems as if my role in your relationship with that dunderhead of a potions master must be fulfilled. I am confident that, together, you and I will be able to convince him of your innocence and undying love for him. I think I may simply have to force him to enter your mind and see for himself." She gazed at Hermione for a moment, then turned to her fireplace. Throwing a pinch of floo powder into the grate, she stuck her head through the suddenly green flames and said, "Severus, I need to have a word with you in my office." She backed away from the flames and watched them intently for a few moments.

Severus suddenly emerged from the flames, an irate look on his face. When his eyes fell on Hermione, his features grew stony and he turned his back to her. Seeing her sitting there brought waves of hurt and disappointment crashing upon him, as well as guilt at having treated her as badly as he had. She could never know the torment she had suddenly thrust him into. _Yes she can_, he thought, _since I've done the same to her_.

"Severus, I think you acted too quickly this evening when you threw your fiancée out of your office. She has convinced me of her undying loyalty to you and of her innocence. She loves you more than you could ever imagine and yet you've reduced her to a lonely young woman who hasn't stopped crying since she left your office. All this because you suddenly believe everything that comes out of Potter's mouth."

Severus stiffened at the older woman's audacity to criticize his actions. "May I ask, Minerva, why you find this to be any of your business," he asked, glaring at her.

"Damage control," she said simply, returning his glare. "If you remember correctly, you and Hermione asked me to agree to help you smooth things out should anyone find out about your relationship. Now that that's occurred, it's time for me to do my job, and I think part of it is to get you to see reason."

"I don't have time for this. None of this is my fault; it all falls on her shoulders. Why don't you spend your time helping her realize that?"

"Because I own no fault in this," Hermione said suddenly, her voice quiet and somewhat strained from the tears still flooding her eyes. "If you would just glance into my mind, you'd see..."

"That you obviously know nothing about honesty since you continue to lie to me. Perhaps you've deluded yourself into thinking that your lies are truth?" Guilt overwhelmed him as he watched her dissolve into a fresh wave of tears. He never knew when to keep his mouth shut.

"Severus, I will have none of that in my office. There is no use in verbally abusing her." McGonagall stood and walked around her desk until she stood behind Hermione, a hand resting comfortingly on the girl's shoulder. "Now, you have two options in this matter. The first is to use your skills as a Legilimens to see the truth for yourself. The second is for you to leave this school, as I will see to it that you are dismissed if you disobey my order to delve into the young woman's mind. You have a week to think about which choice you will pursue." Her threat was an empty one, as Dumbledore's portrait had informed her of the terms of Severus' reemergence into the mortal world. She just hoped that he wouldn't realize it.

Severus turned abruptly to the fireplace, threw some floo powder into the grate, and disappeared, leaving Hermione to gaze tearfully into the empty fireplace.

* * *

As Severus stepped back into his office, dusting off his robes, he realized that the Headmistress' threat of dismissal was little more than an empty one. He had no doubt that Dumbledore's portrait would have told her the whole story of his coming back to life in an attempt at convincing her to allow him back into the school. She would know that he had to spend an entire year there as part of the bargain that had given him another chance at life. He could therefore refuse to use Legilimency on Hermione and keep his job at the same time.

As tempting as that was, however, the tear-stained face filling his mind's eye made him want to do otherwise. In truth, he loved her more than life itself, and even her betrayal of his trust couldn't change that. He fingered the golden H that rested on his desk and felt it become hot enough to almost burn him. As his thoughts were filled with her face glistening with tears that he had caused, he realized that not only had she continued to wear the necklace, but she was also thinking about him with such love that his charm had grown warmer than ever.

It was more than he'd done for her, having removed his own necklace immediately after she left. _Severus Snape, you are an idiot and will never be deserving of her love_, he reprimanded himself.


	14. Avoidance

A/N: I apologize for taking so long to update! Hope you enjoy the new chapter!!

* * *

Hermione entered the common room, damp tissues clenched in one hand, her other hand wrapped around the golden charm still dangling from her neck, as if just holding on to it would fix everything. She had hoped that she would be able to make it up to her dormitory in peace, that everyone would just leave her alone. Her luck, however, had definitely run out.

"Hermione, I'm sorry," came Harry's voice from one of the armchairs by the fire. "I really never should have done that. I don't know what got into me."

"I don't particularly care right now, Harry. I'm not even sure I want to hear your voice at this moment." She was slightly stunned by how weak and defeated her voice sounded, but was not about to change the tone of it. If it made Harry feel guilty, he had it coming. "Please just leave me alone."

"Hermione, I want to make this right."

"There's nothing you can do to make this right. Because of you, I've lost the love of my life. I'm quite sure he hates me now." She turned to head up to the girls' dormitory, feeling a sob rising in her throat. She wanted to get out of the common room before she made a fool of herself.

"I still don't understand how you could possibly have..."

"Harry, there's nothing you need to understand. It's none of your business. Now, I'm going to bed. Please don't hold me up any longer." With that, she walked up the spiraling staircase to her dormitory, where she collapsed onto her bed, drew the curtains around her, and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

It had been the longest, loneliest weekend Hermione had ever experienced, and she was quite glad when Monday finally arrived. She would be busy with schoolwork again, which she hoped would keep her mind off of Severus and what had happened on Friday. When she walked down to the common room, she saw Harry waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. She hadn't talked to him all weekend, and was in no mood to do so now. However, as she tried to skirt past him, he caught her arm and turned her around to face him.

"Hermione, how many times do I have to say I'm sorry? I'm tired of our friendship being strained like this."

"Perhaps you should have thought about that before you decided to follow me under that stupid invisibility cloak. This is not something that a simple apology is going to fix." She gazed sadly at him, knowing that he felt terrible about what he had done. She wished that it was as easy to forgive and forget as it was to hold a grudge against someone. "Harry, I wasn't joking when I told you that you ruined my life that night. All you had to do to make things better was to tell the truth when I asked you to. The fact that you didn't may have changed our friendship forever."

Harry returned her sad gaze, knowing that everything she was saying was true. What he had done was terrible, and he didn't deserve to be forgiven. Finally, he said quietly, "are you coming down to breakfast today?"

"No, I don't think I will," Hermione replied. Her answer was based on her desire to not run into Severus more than she absolutely needed to rather than on a desire to avoid Harry, though she didn't elaborate on her reasoning.

"See you in Transfiguration then, I guess," Harry said, turning to walk through the portrait hole and into the corridor beyond.

* * *

The rest of her week proceeded in the same manner. Every morning, she skipped breakfast and she arrived at lunch and dinner as late as possible. Otherwise, she only left Gryffindor tower for classes and the occasional late-night visit to the library. Her plan seemed to work well, though, as she only saw Severus three times before her Potions class on Friday.

Harry had received a letter from Professor McGonagall on Tuesday morning at breakfast asking him to meet with her after lunch. When he had finally arrived back in the common room well past two in the afternoon, he was in a terrible mood and was willing to take it out on anyone who crossed his path. According to him, McGonagall had given him detention for every day left of the term, including Hogsmeade weekends. Adding to his rage was the fact that he was to be performing the same task each night: scrubbing out the bedpans in the Hospital wing. Worse still, Filch was to be his supervisor. The only person who didn't fall on the receiving end of his wrath was Hermione, to whom he gave the utmost respect by keeping his silence around her as she had asked him to.

He had really been trying to do right by Hermione all week. He had quit asking her to forgive him and instead had begun to reprimand people who were being too loud when she was trying to study. He had also kept every detail of what had happened in Severus' office secret, not even telling Ron. Finally it seemed he had learned to respect others' privacy as much as he valued his own. It was for this reason that Hermione finally spoke to him as they walked to the Potions classroom on Friday afternoon.

"I really appreciate how you've been treating me this week, Harry," she said, giving him a small smile. "I just wish you had shown the same respect for my privacy before everything happened."

"I know, Hermione, and I don't blame you. I was a total idiot that night and I should have kept my mouth shut regardless of what I saw. I shouldn't have followed you at all." He glanced down at her and then added, "I hope that he will forgive you. I don't know what exactly was going on between you two, but neither of you deserve this."

"Thank you for saying that, Harry," she replied as they reached the door into the classroom. Her heart leapt into her throat as she opened the door and saw Severus in his usual position behind the teacher's desk. When he didn't look up at them, she whispered, "I don't think I can do this, Harry."

"Yes you can," he whispered back, leading her to their usual table at the back of the room. "You would never forgive yourself if you skipped a class."

She set about preparing her potion from the instructions that Severus had written on the blackboard, careful not to do anything to draw attention to herself. She didn't even raise her hand when he asked questions, whispering the answers to Harry instead so that he could give them.

"Well, well, well," the Potions master had said the third time Harry had given a correct answer, "seems like our Little Miss Know-It-All knows nothing today." His cold voice echoed through the room as he added, "or perhaps she has finally learned her proper place in this class."

Hermione felt tears beginning to fill her eyes and attempted to run out of the classroom. Harry, on the other hand, had different plans. He grabbed her arm, stopping her progress as he turned to face the front of the room. She didn't know what exactly was coming, but knew that it couldn't be good.

"Forgive me, _sir_," he began coldly, glaring at the professor, "but if you haven't noticed, Hermione does know it all. She's the brightest witch in the year, and she knows well her place in this class. Perhaps it is you who needs to find their proper place, and you can start by treating Hermione the way she deserves to be treated."

As Harry's last words left his mouth, the Potions classroom suddenly seemed to explode as the Potions master began to shout so loudly that the dungeon walls shook with his fury.

* * *

At dinner, Hermione received a letter from Professor McGonagall, asking for a word directly after the meal. Hermione knew why instantly. It had been a week since Severus had been presented with his choices, and it was time to find out which path he would take. She ran a finger gently over the ring that was still in place on her left hand as she pushed her plate away. There was no way she would be able to eat now.


	15. Legilimency

A/N: Here's Chapter 15! Hope it is exactly what you all were waiting for!!

* * *

There he sat in all of his sinister glory. He did not turn to look at her as she entered the office, nor did he acknowledge her sudden presence. Instead, he continued to face the Headmistress' desk, a sour look plastered on his face. _This can't possibly turn out well_, she thought, taking a seat in the chair beside him.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, giving her a quick smile. "I assume you already know why we are here."

"I do," Hermione replied, her heart leaping into her throat. She couldn't remember ever having been this nervous before and she was suddenly quite glad that she hadn't been able to eat at dinner.

"Well, Severus, let's not waste any more time with this foolishness," the Headmistress said, pulling a piece of parchment and quill toward her. "In the interest of making this quick, I hope you won't mind my composing your dismissal letter as we speak. Now, if you will reveal your decision please."

Severus glared at her, wishing she would stop playing her little game of threatening to dismiss him even though she knew he had to stay. Even more irksome was the fact that he still didn't think that this matter was any of her business. Finally, however, he spoke, saying, "I have decided that I will enter her mind on the grounds that you will leave us alone while I do so."

"Fair enough, I suppose," McGonagall said, rising from her desk. "I shall retire to my quarters for 15 minutes, after which we will discuss what is to happen next." With that, she left the office.

As Severus turned his chair and indicated that she should do the same so that they were facing each other, Hermione realized that she was shaking uncontrollably. Even though she knew what he would find, she was suddenly quite frightened at the prospect of him delving into her mind. Regardless of her fear, however, she brought herself to gaze fully into his eyes, knowing that eye contact would make the process go much faster.

He scanned through the images she was presenting him with, searching for the ones that would reveal the truth. He saw Harry and Ron questioning her relentlessly about where she went on the weekends, about why she was staying at school for the holidays. He felt her frustration with them, as well as her desire to tell them about her relationship with him so that she could get some peace. Suddenly, he felt a wave of guilt crash over him as he watched her struggle to withhold the truth from them, regardless of how much torment she was put through at their hands. _She was telling the truth_, he thought as a final image flashed by…one of her lying in bed, crying herself to sleep while clutching at the cold charm dangling from her neck.

Severus pulled himself away from her thoughts, stood, and walked to a corner of the office, feeling miserable. He couldn't bring himself to face her as he thought about what he had put her through with his false blame. In a way, he wished that she would just leave, that she would allow herself to hate him, would never want to see him again. She, of course, had other plans.

He heard soft footsteps approaching, felt a small hand on his back. "You should probably go," he said quietly, closing his eyes as her hand moved slowly up to his shoulder. She pulled gently to get him to turn around and face her and he obliged. "I don't know why you want to do this to yourself, Hermione. I'm never going to change. You should be with someone who will have unwavering trust in you."

"You just have to learn how to trust, Severus, and I know you will." She brought a hand to his cheek and stood on tiptoe to brush his lips with hers. "Besides," she said, coming back down to even footing, "I love you, and nothing can change that."

As she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his chest, he felt warmth spread throughout his body and it suddenly became obvious that her love for him was unconditional. Returning the embrace, he kissed the top of her head, taking in the sweet honey-vanilla scent of her hair. It felt as if he had stepped back into his little piece of heaven and this time, he wasn't going to leave. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever hear those words again," she replied, looking up into his eyes and smiling, "although you really shouldn't have to ask that question."

"Alright you two, save it for later." McGonagall had reappeared so suddenly that it took a few moments for Severus and Hermione to realize what had happened. "I assume the wedding's back on, then," she continued, taking her seat behind the desk and gesturing for them to sit as well.

"It was never truly off," Hermione said, sitting in what had been Severus' chair. "After all, I never gave up on him."

"Well, Severus, I'm glad that you saw reason in the end. You almost lost a beautiful woman in the recent insanity."

"That is all too obvious to me," he replied, standing behind Hermione with his hands on her shoulders.

"Before you leave tonight, we need to discuss the possibility of telling some of the other staff members." The Headmistress picked up her quill and scribbled on a blank piece of parchment for a few moments before continuing. "I believe that Professors Flitwick and Hagrid should know as they will no doubt with to help with the preparations." She paused for a moment, quill between her teeth, apparently deep in thought. Finally, she said, "then again, I'm sure the entire staff would appreciate knowing before the wedding takes place. Perhaps a staff meeting is in order?"

"I think we should only inform Flitwick and Hagrid for now," Severus replied, meeting Hermione's eyes as she looked up at him. "I feel sure that Hermione and I would both agree that telling the entire staff leaves us open to discovery by the students. Even the most careful of people can let things slip accidentally."

"I definitely agree, Professor," Hermione added, looking back at the Headmistress, "though I'm sure we could let them know sometime before graduation so that they can all help prepare for the wedding."

"Well, if we're only going to inform those two, then perhaps we could get it over with tonight. Can you stay for just a few more moments?"

"I suppose," Severus replied hesitantly, suddenly anxious to make it back to the dungeons with Hermione.

* * *

An hour later, Hermione was finally on her way back to the dungeons, anxious to be back in Severus' arms again. They had had to split up and take different routes to their shared destination because of all the people roaming around, patrolling the halls. It would do them absolutely no good to be discovered by unwanted eyes now.

The meeting with Hagrid and Flitwick had gone…interestingly, to say the very least. The tiny Charms professor had been quite congratulatory; that is, after his initial shock had worn off. Hagrid had been too…once he had regained consciousness. The half-giant had managed a small chuckle before he had hit the floor, causing the walls to rattle and sending poor little Professor Flitwick toppling. Hermione supposed that she couldn't have expected any different out of her close friend, especially since he had just gotten used to the idea of her being with Ron. In the end, both had agreed to help with the preparations for the wedding, though they refused to detail any of the "wonderful ideas" they claimed to have had.

As she arrived outside of Severus' office door, she felt her anticipation reach heights she hadn't even thought possible. She pushed the door open slowly, feeling her heart race as if it were her first time entering the stone-walled room beyond. Suddenly, Hermione felt that this would be a night to remember.


	16. The First Time

A/N: Ok, here's the chapter responsible for the M rating. I felt like this was a good time for a chapter like this, so here it is. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Hermione slowly pushed open the door to Severus' office and found him gazing into the fireplace, his back to her. Closing the door behind her and silently casting the locking charm on the handle, she walked to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I've missed you," she said, allowing her hands to slide slowly down his back and then around his waist. She felt an odd clenching in her belly as he brought his hands to hers and began to caress them.

"I've missed you too," he said, separating her hands and turning to face her, "more than you could ever imagine." Pulling her body against his, he gazed longingly into her eyes. "I'm so sorry for what I put you through," came his voice, low and solemn.

"No apologies," she replied, brushing his lips with hers briefly before resting her head on his chest. "Apologies are supposed to be made by people who have done something wrong."

"But Hermione…"

"No, Severus. You weren't in the wrong." She brought her eyes back to his before continuing. "Love is funny, really. Once it grabs onto your heart, it can cause you to do things that are…unreasonable. The only reason you did what you did is because you love me more than you've ever loved anyone…even Lily. I can't blame you for that…I can't tell you that you were wrong. I suppose your actions make me love you more."

Severus gazed at the woman in front of him, someone who had just come of age…someone with such a thorough knowledge of the vagaries of love that she made him feel like her student. His only question was how she knew about his love for Lily. _Surely Potter told her about my memories the night I died_.

"No, Dumbledore told me," she said brightly, a smile stretching across her face. "I went to talk to the Headmistress shortly after what happened between us. She wasn't there, but Professor Dumbledore's portrait was more than willing to lend an ear…and help me through what was going on. And before you even ask, I don't know how I knew what you were thinking…I just knew."

Severus gazed at Hermione, allowing the resulting silence to envelope them. He ran his fingers gently through her soft brown curls, savoring the silkiness against his calloused fingers. Smiling at her softly, he brought his lips to hers in a kiss that quickly became urgent. His tongue pressed into her mouth longingly as his heart began to pound against his ribs. He felt her hands begin to roam along his back, pulling his body against hers in a desperation that was all too apparent.

She pulled away from him and gazed into his eyes, realizing a neediness she hadn't seen there before…a neediness that matched her own. "Severus," she whispered, "I want you…I need you."

Severus needed no more explanation. He unfastened the buttons holding her robes together and slid them gently from her shoulders, revealing a black school cardigan and skirt underneath. In the blink of an eye, the sweater had joined the black pool of robes on the dungeon floor, her pale skin glowing vibrantly in the torchlight. The sight took his breath away, as well as his capacity to think. It 

also added to the throbbing ache that had been growing in his groin since that heart-pounding kiss moments ago.

Noticing his hesitation, Hermione took a step closer to him, gazing longingly into his eyes. She took his hand in hers and rested it just above the lacy edging of her bra, directly over her heart. "Severus, this heart beats only for you, and that's the way it will stay. This is why I want this right now. Please, don't shy away from it." She kissed him then, feeling his hands suddenly move around to the clasp of her bra, undoing it with one hand as his other slipped gently to the zipper at the back of her skirt. Both pieces of clothing hit the floor behind her and she pressed herself even closer to him, his wool overcoat scratchy against her sensitive skin and the heat of his arousal against her stomach thrilling her.

Suddenly, Severus pulled away from her and gazed into her eyes. "Not here," he said, taking her hand in one of his and using his free hand to cup her cheek. "I want this to be perfect." He led her to his bedroom…_their_ bedroom. Once there, he picked her up and laid her gently on _their_ bed. He quickly discarded his own clothes and carefully removed her panties before lowering himself to the bed, supporting himself above her.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her gently before turning his attention to her body. His hands roamed freely, and his mouth followed, leaving small kisses over every inch of her skin. Every kiss brought a whimper from her, each one driving him crazy. When he finally reached the treasure at the apex of her thighs, he found that she was ready for him, and he could wait no longer.

He moved back up on the bed, looked deeply into her eyes, and was met with a whispered "I love you, too, Severus." He smiled at her lovingly and then entered her for the first time, bringing a low moan from his lips and a sigh from Hermione's.

* * *

Hermione lay contentedly in Severus' arms, their bodies still sticky with sweat. His arms encircled her completely, and she felt happier than she could ever remember being. His warmth spread completely through her body, acting more efficiently that any lullaby, sending her drifting towards sleep. Just before her eyes closed and her dreams began, Severus' voice came quietly from behind her.

"You're perfect, Hermione," he said, bringing a hand up to comb through her mussed hair. "I have to be the luckiest man in the world to have won your love."

Smiling, she turned to face him, pressing her body closer to him and bringing a hand to the back of his neck. "You've got that wrong, Severus," she replied, smiling gently at him, "I'm the lucky one." With those words, she pulled his face closer to hers, meeting his lips in a soft kiss before settling against his chest and falling into a deep sleep.


	17. Union

A/N: Alright, here's the last chapter! Sorry for the long wait, but it took a while to get this the way I wanted it. Thanks to all my dedicated readers and reviewers...if it wasn't for you guys, this story would never have been finished!

* * *

Hermione gazed intently at her shimmering reflection, still trying to understand exactly how she had gotten to this point in her life. She had never believed in whirlwind romances…had always thought that true love had to be built up over a number of years, rather than just a few short months. Everything had happened so fast, and now she found herself going against every preconceived notion she'd had about live…and about love.

It felt like only days had passed since that first detention with Severus, and the thought of their first kiss still sent shivers down her spine, making her stomach clench. At the time, it had merely been a rash decision on Severus' part…a choice made at the height of his anger and passion. Now, however, it seemed like a mirror of their relationship, which had indeed begun quite suddenly, progressed quickly, and had the occasional moments of strife and frustration. She felt like she should have known from that very first night that their relationship would lead to this, yet she was glad she hadn't. She was sure that knowing ahead of time would have led her down a totally different path…would have led her away from Severus because of her distrust of relationships like theirs.

A mere twenty-four hours had passed since her graduation. She remembered the entire event clearly, right down to the smallest details. She remembered the smiles of her friends, the atmosphere that had hummed with the promise of a brand new life for all of them…remembered walking in front of the line of professors, shaking hands, smiling brightly, offering words of gratitude for their respective roles in her education…remembered reaching Severus at the end of the line, allowing her hand to linger in his for several seconds as the ring glittered subtly in the light of the floating candles…remembered him reaching to remove her school hat, then placing the dark red replacement gently over her curls. Her fellow graduates had congratulated her, offering words of encouragement for her future plans, smiling kindly and hugging her tightly. Only five people present had truly known what the celebrations meant to her, and she had been grateful for it. After all, the blissful ignorance of the majority of the school's population had left her largely out of the spotlight, allowing her one last night to enjoy complete and total privacy.

As she stared into the mirror, she realized how much she had changed since her graduation. The eyes that gazed back at her no longer showed the simple wisdom that could be gained from books. Instead, they were filled with a new kind of wisdom…the knowledge that, to be truly happy, you had to occasionally admit that you were wrong…the knowledge that love was unpredictable and happened when it wanted to…the knowledge that surrendering herself to this sudden and complete change in her life was essential not only to her own happiness, but to Severus' as well. She just wished that her parents were there to witness the change for themselves…were able to be proud about who she had become.

A knock on the door startled her from her reverie. "Come in," she muttered quietly, wiping the tears from her face with a brisk swipe of her hand. She turned to see who her visitor was and felt the corners of her mouth lift into an involuntary smile when she saw Harry standing in the doorway.

"You look gorgeous," he said, offering a wide grin as he closed the door behind him. His eyes reflected every inch of the shimmering gown, adding to the effect with the ecstatic gleam that shone in them. His smile faded quickly as he registered the moisture in her eyes and on her cheeks. "Why are you crying," he asked quietly, walking to her and placing his hand on her cheek.

"I wish my parents were here," she whispered, knowing that Harry would understand. After all, his parents had missed every important event in his life…he'd never even known them.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he began, brushing a fresh tear from the corner of her eye. "I can't begin to imagine how hard it must be for you."

"What do you mean? You've never even known your parents," she replied, turning away from him, trying to regain her composure. She'd almost been hoping that he would yell at her, would tell her that she didn't know what missing one's parents really meant. She'd thought that his anger would put things into perspective for her and would help her overcome her feelings of grief, allowing her to fully enjoy her wedding. His unexpected gentleness made everything much harder.

"Hermione, there's one difference between you and I," he said, standing behind her and meeting her eyes in the mirror. He paused for a moment, as if he were unsure of exactly how to say what was on his mind. Finally, he took a deep breath and continued. "I never knew my parents. They were taken from me before I could even remember them. They were taken away permanently, their lives lost, never to be returned to them." He paused again, then turned her around to face him. "You had your parents for the first 17 years of your life. You got to experience their love, their presence, their loyalty to you. Then, suddenly, it was left to you to make sure that they would never remember you, simply to protect them."

"And what about all of that makes my situation more difficult than yours," Hermione asked, no longer able to control her tears. "Your parents are dead, mine aren't."

"That's exactly what makes it harder for you. Your parents are still alive…they're still within reach. Mine never have been." Harry put his arms around her, holding her shaking frame close to him. "You're relatively new to this life. You'll get used to it eventually, but until then, it's going to be extremely difficult."

"I just wish that my father could walk me down the aisle," she whispered, burying her face in his shoulder.

"That's actually what I was coming to talk to you about," Harry replied, smiling as she looked up with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?" She gazed into his eyes, trying to decipher the meaning of his words…his intentions.

"Well, since we've been so close for the past eight years…," he paused, trying to frame his words properly. "I mean, after I fought with both of you over your relationship, I figure…"

"You want to walk me down the aisle," she cut him off, not quite comprehending his words.

"Yes, but I also want more than that," he replied, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I want to give you to him, to show that I support both of you. You're like a sister to me, Hermione, and I want you to be happy. I feel that this is the perfect way to show that." He paused, glancing briefly at the floor as he considered what to say next. "That is," he finally continued, "if you want me to take the place of your father. I'll understand if you would rather go alone."

"No, Harry," Hermione said, her voice cracking with the threat of more tears, "I would love for you to walk me down the aisle." She wrapped her arms tightly around him, allowing her tears to flow. "I'm just so glad that you're supportive of this. Believe it or not, I really do care what you think, and knowing that you have accepted this makes today ten times better."

"Well, if we don't get going, people are going to think that you've run off and left Snape at the altar," he finally said, pulling away from her and straightening the front of his dress robes.

"Oh, does everyone know that I'm the bride," she asked nervously, her heart beginning to race. She had hoped that it would be kept quiet until the moment she walked down the aisle…she didn't want everyone to have time to create their own theories about what was going on.

"No, they just know that there's supposed to be a bride. Professor McGonagall knew that you wouldn't want it announced."

Hermione took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. "Well, I suppose you're right." She took one last glance in the mirror, straightening her hair with a brush of her hand. "If I don't appear soon, he'll think I've left him."

Harry took her arm in his and offered an encouraging smile. "You really do look beautiful," he said, gazing into her eyes, "and I hope it's as obvious to him as it is to me." He began to pull her toward the chamber door leading into the Entrance Hall, thinking about what he had just said. He stopped walking and gazed at her one last time. "Actually, Hermione," he said, the smile fading in a moment of seriousness, 'I think it may be even more obvious to him. It's clear that he loves you more than life itself. I mean, the way he looked at you last night, the pride mixed with the knowledge that that one event meant that you could be his forever now that you were no longer his student shining in his eyes."

Hermione gazed back at her friend, her eyes tearing up once again. She knew that every word was true, had experienced every bit of it directly. Harry's reaction to it all made it so much more tangible, showing her that it was obvious even to those who did not know Severus as well as she did. The gentleness of Harry's voice as the words left his mouth also seemed to solidify the fact that he truly was happy for her…and for Severus. She took a deep breath, using her free hand to wipe the brimming tears.

"We really should go, you know," she said, smiling gently at her friend. "I don't want him to think I've gotten cold feet and run off on him."

Harry reached out to open the door leading into the Entrance Hall and began guiding her to the oak front doors of the castle. "Are you sure you're ready for what's on the other side of these doors? Your entire life's about to change, you know."

"I know, and I'm ready." She withdrew her arm from his and turned to face him, placing both hands on his shoulders. "I want to be his, Harry." She smiled at him and drew him into a tight embrace. "Thank you for accepting that,' she whispered, her heart swelling with love and appreciation for her friend, "it really means a lot to me."

"Don't thank me for something I should have done from the very beginning." Pulling out of the embrace, he held his arm out to her. "Let's go. He's waiting for you."

The doors began to swing open slowly as Hermione entwined her arm in his, revealing the most beautiful sight that had ever met her eyes. A white carpet stretched from the doors, down the stone steps, and across the lawn, running between rows and rows of chairs filled with students and professors alike. At the end of the aisle was a raised platform surrounded by thousands of tiny roses in shades of burgundy and green, gold and silver. At intervals along the pathway, small clouds had been conjured in midair, slowly raining petals of the same colors. And at the end, dressed in robes the color of the darkest midnight sky, was Severus, his eyes gleaming lovingly as he took in her white-clad frame.

Soft music began to flow from somewhere behind the platform and the audience stood, turning to watch her procession. An audible gasp coursed through the people gathered there as they recognized her. Some smiled, others stared, their mouths open with shock. A group of Slytherins glared at her, obviously wondering how she would dare ruin the purity of Slytherin House. She scanned the crowd for Ron's face and had to hold back a fit of giggles when she saw his incredulous expression turn from her to Severus and back again. Harry cleared his throat quietly at that moment, and she allowed him to lead her down the steps.

As she walked, she couldn't take her eyes off of Severus. She had a hard time comprehending the fact that she was the sole cause of the joy that graced his features. His love for her was tangible as his eyes followed the procession, savoring every graceful step she took toward him. Her journey seemed to take hours rather than mere minutes, her longing for his nearness increasing unbearably.

Finally, she and Harry reached their destination. Harry inclined his head in Severus' direction, offering him a brief smile before turning to Hermione. "Congratulations," he whispered, kissing her cheek quickly, "and good luck." He took her hand and placed it gently in Severus' before retreating to take a seat beside the Headmistress.

An ancient wizard stepped onto the raised platform and cleared his throat quietly before beginning. "We are gathered here today to witness the binding of this man, Mr. Severus Snape, to this woman, Miss Hermione Granger. Before the vows are exchanged, if there is anyone who objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."

There was a quiet rustle and murmur that spread quickly through the audience. After several seconds, a student wearing a Slytherin Prefect badge stood, clearing his throat as if about to speak. Before a single word had left his mouth, the Headmistress stood, smiling kindly at the old binding wizard.

"There are no objections, Mr. Fulton. Please continue." She sank gracefully back into her seat, gazing lovingly at the couple in front of her.

"Mr. Snape and Miss Granger have taken the time to write their own vows," the wizard continued. "Mr. Snape, if you will begin…"

Severus took a deep breath, trying to pull his thoughts together just enough to recite the vows he had memorized earlier in the day. It didn't take long for him to realize that the thought of marrying Hermione was too overwhelming to allow the memorized lines to resurface, so when he finally began, he allowed the words to flow from his heart rather than his mind.

"My dearest Hermione…over the past several months, my love for you has grown by leaps and bounds. You have managed to brighten even the darkest moments of my life. You have become a part of me…one that I cannot live without. There isn't much that I can promise you, but I can guarantee that I will always love you…that I will never leave your side…," he paused, suddenly struggling to control his emotions. A single tear slid from the corner of his eye as he finally managed to continue. "I can guarantee that I will always be faithful and that I will always trust you, regardless of the circumstances. I love you more than life itself, and I know that becoming your husband will prove to be the brightest moment of my existence."

The wizened binding wizard cleared his throat once more, now gesturing to Hermione. "Miss Granger, if you will…"

Hermione gazed up at Severus, her tears flowing freely. Suddenly glad that she couldn't remember a single word of her memorized vows, she brushed the moisture from her cheeks and began to speak.

"Severus…I honestly never knew that one person could be capable of giving the amount of love and devotion that I have received from you in the past several months. At the same time, I never knew that I was capable of loving anyone as much as I love you. I promise that I will never let my love for you fade. I will support you in every endeavor that you choose to undertake, and I will always uphold the integrity that is necessary to make our new life enjoyable. I love you more than you can imagine, and becoming your wife is the greatest honor I will ever know."

"Very well then," came the voice of the old wizard, pulling his wand from a pocket and using it to levitate the two rings to a spot just inches from the couple. "If you will please exchange the rings."

Severus plucked the smaller of the two rings from its position, smiling lovingly at Hermione as he slid it gently onto her left ring finger. Hermione followed suit, slipping the larger one onto his finger and squeezing his hand gently.

"Please join your left hands," the binding wizard said, allowing the couple no time to waste on sentimentality. He used his wand to draw two golden circles around their joined hands, then muttered an incantation that caused the circles to become interlocked. Finally, he jerked his wand upward and the circles separated to fly into the rings themselves, causing them to glow brightly momentarily. "I now pronounce you husband and wife, bound to each other for the remainder of your existence. You may kiss the bride."

Hermione gazed happily at her new husband. As he pressed his lips gently to hers, she felt her heart swell and knew, without the slightest hint of a doubt, that he had been her destiny since her very first day at Hogwarts. Her life had finally fallen into place…

* * *

Their reception had been the perfect example of fun and excitement. Hagrid had organized a scavenger hunt with nifflers, McGonagall had booked the Weird Sisters to entertain the guests, and a certain hippogriff had been brought along to give rides around the school grounds. A wedding cake had been fashioned from Cauldron Cakes and Sugar Quills in a perfect, amusing mockery of the couple's never-ending quest for knowledge. There had been a lot of hugs, smiles, and tears over the course of the four hour party. Ron had made a single appearance, staying just long enough to glance from Severus to Hermione several times before giving up any hope of understanding what was going on and offering a startled "congratulations" before going to join Harry for the scavenger hunt.

Finally, after four hours of being surrounded by their friends and peers, Hermione and Severus had watched the students make their collective way to the Hogwarts Express. Suddenly, they were all alone, and Severus wasted no time in sweeping her off of her feet and carrying her toward the door of the castles and down into his dungeon office, where he set her gently on her feet.

"I love you so much," he said, wrapping his arms tightly around her and burying his face in her curly brown hair.

"I love you more," she whispered teasingly, dragging her fingers down his back, her stomach clenching with excitement at the feel of his warm breath on her neck.

Severus chuckled quietly, lifting his eyes to hers. "Somehow, I doubt that." He pressed his lips to hers, gently at first, but with increasing intensity. Parting his lips, he traced the shape of hers with his tongue until she allowed him entrance, sighing longingly. After several moments, he pulled away slowly, smiling at her scowl of disappointment. "Shall we, my beloved wife," he asked, gesturing toward the bedroom with a knowing smile.

"We shall, my dearest husband," she replied, allowing him to lead her out of the office, thrilled with the idea that she would never have to leave his side again.


	18. Epilogue

A/N: Alright, I couldn't help myself. I felt like the story hadn't quite ended, so here's a lovely epilogue. Enjoy!!

* * *

**Seven Months Later…**

Hermione opened her eyes to the dim light streaming through the enchanted window beside the bed; sunrise was still about half an hour away. She rolled gently onto her side, gazing into the sleep-clouded eyes of her husband, reveling in the warmth of his arms where they encircled her waist.

"Good morning, my love," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers gently, parting them as their kiss intensified. His hands roamed freely over her body, pausing when they reached her swollen stomach. "Two more months," he whispered as he pulled his lips from hers.

"I know," she whispered in reply, kissing him quickly and then gazing into his eyes. "It still seems too long to wait."

"I agree. If only the little bugger could come tomorrow." He smiled at her lovingly, rubbing her stomach gently. "Oddly enough, I think I'm more excited than you are."

"That makes sense though. There's a good reason why you should be more excited than me."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" His curiosity burned brightly in his brilliantly black eyes.

"Well, it's quite simple, really," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I haven't had as much experience teaching dunderheads as you have." She laughed quietly, sliding over to be as close to Severus as her body would allow.

"Ah, I see where this is going," he replied, chuckling delightedly, "you're saying that I should be excited because for the second time in my life, I'll get to teach someone who isn't an absolute dunderhead. After all, no child of ours could even come close to being a dunderhead."

"Exactly, darling," Hermione replied, pressing her lips to his once again.

The sound of bells tolling suddenly rang through the castle, signaling the time of day that Severus and Hermione hated most. He pulled away from his wife and gazed longingly into her eyes. "Alas, the bells toll yet again. We'd better get going." He stood from the bed and pulled her with him, reveling in the sight of her unclothed body. "Ah, this is torture," he said, wrapping his arms tightly around her, "Can't you just skip your Transfiguration class today? I'm sure you won't be missed."

"Dearest, I'm the professor," Hermione replied laughing quietly, "of course I'll be missed."

Severus grumbled with dissatisfaction as he released her and reached for his white button-up shirt. "Shall we meet back here for lunch then," he asked as he fastened the buttons hurriedly.

"Of course, dear. Don't we always?" Hermione kissed him chastely on the lips before using her wand to fasten the buttons on the front of her robes and hurrying off to her first class of the day.


End file.
